International Box Office: Desolation Brightens The Weekend
December 27, 2013
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was the biggest draw on the international chart last weekend adding $97.4 million on 16,840 screens in 56 markets for totals of $278.4 million internationally and $406.0 million worldwide after just two weeks of release. This includes a first place debut in Russia where it made $16.36 million on 2,125 screens over the weekend for a total opening of $19.11 million. This is more or less the same as the first film opened with. (An Unexpected Journey didn't open on Wednesday, but made $17.89 million on 2,128 screens during its three-day opening weekend.)
Frozen remained in second place for another weekend earning $35.1 million in 33 markets for an international total of $152.6 million so far. It doesn't end its international run till March when it debuts in Japan. In the meantime, it could be as little as a weekend away from breaking even. It depends on how much the studio spent on its global P&A and how large the studio's share of the box office is in various markets.
Personal Tailor debuted in third place on the international chart with $24.0 million. I think it is safe to assume that most of that came from China, but we don't have information on any individual markets.
Anchorman: The Legend Continues opened in fourth place with $13.4 million in six markets. This includes $7.4 million on 460 screens in the U.K. and $5.2 million on 243 screens in Australia. In comparison, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy made $5.22 million in total. That's not how much it made in the UK or Australia. That's how much it made in total internationally.
Walking with Dinosaurs was right behind with $13.0 million on 7,989 screens in 38 markets. That's not a lot of money from a lot of markets. Its biggest international market was the U.K. where it made $1.6 million on 597 screens, while it earned $1.50 million on 1,512 screens in Russia.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was in a tie for sixth place with $11.0 million in 83 markets for a total of $393.6 million internationally and $765.3 million worldwide. It is already $80 million ahead of the first film with Japan still ahead.
The Attorney was tied for sixth place, also with $11.0 million. It is another Chinese film, so no other details were released.
Fung bou, a.k.a. Firestorm fell to eighth place with $6.7 million over the weekend for a total of $38 million in China. It's playing in a couple of other markets, but we have no details from them.
Gravity fell to ninth place with $4.1 million on 1,769 screens in 32 markets for totals of $398.8 million internationally and $652.4 million worldwide. It will fall out of the top ten next weekend, but will cross $400 million internationally nonetheless.
About Time and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 tied for tenth place with $3.3 million apiece. For About Time, this pushed its running tally to $59.7 million internationally and just shy of $75.0 million worldwide. This is an excellent run for a film that cost just $12 million to make. Cloudy 2 has made $113.85 million internationally and $229.59 million worldwide, which is about $7 million below the original film.
Filed under: International Box Office, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Gravity, Frozen, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Walking with Dinosaurs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, About Time