International Top Five - Shrek Storms Back to the Top
September 6, 2007
It was the end of summer and that's the best time for Shrek the Third to make its debut in Italy. Summers in Italy are for outdoor activities, so much so that many theaters close down for the season, which makes it a good plan to hold off opening blockbusters there till the fall. The film dominated that market earning $8.02 million on 705 screens over the weekend and $10.67 million overall. The film also opened in three of the four Scandinavian markets earning a combined $4.06 million on 347 screens, including previews / midweek numbers. Overall the film added $17.87 million on 1849 screens in 23 markets for a total of $436.45 million.
The Bourne Ultimatum slipped to second place but was down just 3% to $14.65 million on 2302 screens in 30 markets while its international total hit $76.12 million. This includes a first place, $5.13 million opening on 402 screens in Australia, which is slightly more than $4.47 million the second film opened with in 2004, and slightly less $7.05 million the first film made there in total. Meanwhile in the U.K., the film added $4.51 million on 473 screens for a total of $36.44 million, meaning it has earned more than the first two Bourne films earned combined and if this market it indicative, the film could earn $200 to $300 million internationally.
Ratatouille was also pushed down a spot to third with $10.60 million on 2774 screens in 33 markets for a total of $190.48 million. The film opened in first place with $1.10 million on 56 screens, which is being reported as a record opening for an animated film. However, most of its weekend haul came from holdovers like France where it again topped the charts. During its fifth week of release there the film added $4.543 million on 749 screens for a total of $51.76 million. The only Pixar film to make more in that market was Finding Nemo at $64.78 million, but despite falling off that film's pace, I'm starting to think Ratatouille will make it there, after all, that film was boosted by holidays later in its run while Ratatouille has not had that benefit as much. Overall, I think it will finish $100 million behind Finding Nemo, but that would still give the film $400 million internationally and $600 million worldwide.
It was a milestone weekend for The Simpsons Movie as it crossed $300 million worldwide after pulling in $7.62 million on 5010 screens in 33 markets for a total of $302.60 million. The only question left is whether or not it will make it to $500 million worldwide before the film opens in Italy in two weeks. Meanwhile, it doesn't open in Japan till next March, about 8 months after it started its international run.
Rounding out the top five, for the third weekend in a row, was Rush Hour 3 with $7.29 million on 2257 screens in 23 markets for a total of $52.97 million. The film was able to open in first place in Mexico with $1.04 million on 300 screens, while its biggest market of the weekend was Germany with $1.35 million on 630 screens over the weekend for a three-week total of $9.11 million. An interesting side note, there have been three different number one films during the three weeks this film has been stuck in fifth place, (The Simpsons Movie, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Shrek the Third).
Filed under: International Box Office, Shrek the Third, The Bourne Ultimatum, Ratatouille, The Simpsons Movie, Rush Hour 3