‘Ad Astra’ Stars Atop Quiet Offshore Frame; ‘Downton Abbey’ Serves Over $100M WW To Date – International Box Office

Nancy Tartaglione

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UPDATE, writethru: In its sophomore frame, Fox/New Regency’s Ad Astra again led the international box office, landing another $18M from 50 material markets. The overseas cume is $53.5M for $89M worldwide. The Brad Pitt-starrer is now out in all markets handled by Disney which is not across China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. Bona Film Group covered 30% of the bill on the expensive space pic which is expected to see a Middle Kingdom release.

New hubs on the James Gray-directed sci-fi thinker this weekend included Russia at No. 1 with $3.1M (54% ahead of Arrival and 425% ahead of First Man); Brazil at No. 2 with $900K (37% ahead of First Man and 44% ahead of Arrival); and Italy with a $1M No. 2 launch — the film premiered in Venice last month.

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Holds were good in Europe which dropped 40% regionally. The pricey pic has been expected to play akin to the thrifty Arrival ($103M offshore finish), and could get there when China is added. As noted last weekend, finance sources say if Ad Astra ends up in the $150M worldwide range, it will end up losing $30M or so in two years after all markets play out.

This was a quiet weekend overseas, about 13% off the similar frame last year for the Top 5 movies, and as we wait to see what Joker brings to the mix next session.

Coming in behind Ad Astra, holdover IT Chapter Two clowned around for another $11M in 78 overseas markets to see a 48% drop. The offshore total is now $223.5M for $417.4M global.

From Universal, Focus/Carnival’s Downton Abbey topped the $100M global mark, aided by a further $10M in what-is-a-weekend sales. The offshore total is $48.6M from 36 markets. The UK held No. 1 for the third frame in a row and has now cumed $23.4M.

Also from Universal and after starting a soft rollout in just three offshore markets last session, DreamWorks Animation/Pearl Studios’ domestic champ Abominable added 27 hubs and $8.8M internationally. The Jill Culton-directed animation is now at $10.2M overseas and $31M worldwide with many key majors to come. Family-leaning markets Mexico ($1.98M/905 sites) and Brazil ($1.45M/575), notably, were both No. 1 starts. In like-for-likes, the pic is tracking in line with Home and Smallfoot, and 13% above Storks.

And, Sony/Bona’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood added $7M in 62 markets on a weekend that included a Quentin Tarantino record launch in Korea with $1.4M to best Django Unchained. The offshore total is $218.4M for $357M global.

Breakdowns on the films above and more have been updated below.

HOLDOVERS EXPANSIONS
AD ASTRA
Fox/New Regency’s Ad Astra held the top spot internationally with an $18M sophomore weekend. The overseas total is now $53.5M for $89M global. It is likely the film gets up to about $85M in the offshore Disney markets and then perhaps gets a bump from China where Bona is handling. Despite critics loving the movie out of Venice and beyond, this is a disappointing result on an expensive picture.

Russia, where the pic had some buzz ahead of its debut, started off at No. 1 this weekend with $3.1M, ahead of both Arrival and First Man. In Italy it was No. 2 with $1M and in Brazil also No. 2 with $900K.

In holds, the Brad Pitt-starrer was still the top western title for Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines. Europe saw good holds at -40% regionally. Germany was down 15%, the UK 26% and France 34%. Elsewhere, Malaysia (-36%), Australia (-38%) and Mexico (-38%) also saw decent drops.

The Top 5 markets are UK ($5.6M), France ($5.4M), Japan ($4.5M), Spain ($3.7M) and Korea ($3.5M).

IT CHAPTER TWO
New Line/Warner Bros’ sequel took in an estimated $11M from 8,829 screens in 78 overseas markets, with a 48% drop. The running offshore cume is $223.5M and the worldwide tally skipped past $400M to $417.4M.

The Top 5 markets are UK ($21.7M), Mexico ($20.8M), Germany ($17.4M), Russia ($17M) and Brazil ($11M).

DOWNTON ABBEY
Another $10M was served up for the Focus/Carnival production in 36 offshore markets. That takes the Universal release to $48.6M overseas and $107.1M global on this nice earner. France was new this weekend with $1.4M from 297 sites, falling in line with Darkest Hour, and ahead of The Favourite. Denmark gave the Crawleys a No. 1 start with $630K at 126.

Naturally, the top holdover is the UK where the cume is now $23.4M. Other top markets include Australia ($6.5M), Germany ($2.9M) and Netherlands ($2.3M).

Play will continue with Italy, Brazil, Russia, Mexico and Japan over the coming months. A China date is expected.

ABOMINABLE
The DreamWorks Animation/Pearl Studios toon is rolling out over an extended period and this weekend added $8.8M in 30 markets to lift the cume to $10.2M. Globally, after a strong domestic start, the film is at $31M.

Family-friendly Mexico and Brazil were the biggest launches this session at $1.98M and $1.45M, respectively. Both were No. 1 bows. Further No. 1s were seen in Colombia, Peru, Chile, India, Turkey, South Africa and Venezuela. Overall, the opening markets are in line with Home and Smallfoot and ahead of Storks by 13%.

France, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan and Korea are still to come.

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
Sony/Bona’s Quentin Tarantino-directed ode to 1969 fired up another $7M in the session from 62 markets. The offshore cume is $218.4M for $357M global. Notably, QT set another record in Korea with a $1.4M start that’s 28% bigger than his previous best with Django Unchained. China releases via Bona on October 25.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
The Lion King (DIS): $3.7M intl weekend (30 markets); $1,098.7M intl cume ($1,638.7M global)
Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (PAR): $3.4M intl weekend (33 markets); $45.6M intl cume ($105M global)
The Angry Birds Movie 2 (SNY): $3.1M intl weekend (56 markets); $83M intl cume ($123.7M global)
Hustlers (STX): $3M intl weekend; $14.8M intl cume ($95.4M global)
Good Boys (UNI): $1.5M intl weekend (35 markets); $23.7M intl cume ($104.1M global)
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (UNI): $1.5M intl weekend (57 markets); $582.8M intl cume ($755.1M global)
Yesterday (UNI): $1.3M intl weekend (29 markets); $71M intl cume ($144.3M global)

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