‘Independence Day Resurgence’ Lands With $100M Overseas Start; ‘Dory’ Nears $400M WW – Intl Box Office Final
UPDATE, WRITETHRU, Monday final 12:50 and 2:04 PM PST: Fox’s Independence Day Resurgence landed with a lesser than expected $100.1M start (down from the $102.13M Sunday estimate) overseas to take the No. 1 spot at the international box office this weekend. Roland Emmerich’s 20-years-later sequel invaded 58 markets and was tops in 40, including Korea and Mexico, and several South East Asian hubs. Its biggest competition for offshore eyeballs were family pics Finding Dory (in some smaller plays) and The Secret Life Of Pets in the UK. After the turmoil caused by the Brexit vote there on Friday, it could be argued that a disaster pic was not first on folks’ wishlist.
The alien revisitation set a new IMAX record for a Fox movie internationally with $10.8M on 533 screens. (Deadpool held the record previously at $8.05M.) In China, IDR took $6.4M at 294 IMAX dates to rival Fox’s The Martian for best-ever.
In regular and IMAX play, IDR‘s Earth Space Defense team picked up $37.7M in China, the 4th highest grossing frame ever for Fox. It landed No. 2 there for the weekend, topped by Now You See Me 2 whose first installment was a solid China performer in 2013. While IDR as a franchise has no real history in the Middle Kingdom, Emmerich’s more recent action films have released there with 2012 the biggest grosser at $68.7M. Both IDR and NYSM2 have an Asian star as a draw, while the latter features a Macau setting and had a local partner to help push proceedings. The coming PROC frame sees the arrival of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows along with a host of local pics as the July rush kicks off.
Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory splashed up another better than expected $38.7M (up from Sunday’s estimate of $37M) in its second frame. That takes the offshore cume to $111.9M for a global total of $396.85M. Key openings this weekend included Spain ($4.9M) and France ($4.7M), both at No. 1. In China, where Pixar pics tend to swim against the current, the sophomore session reeled in $6.1M for a $30.1M cume. That makes Dory the 2nd highest grossing Pixar release ever in the Middle Kingdom. It will scare away champ Monsters University ($32.5M) shortly. With Dory‘s nearly $400M globally (it’s at $398.6M through Sunday), Pixar’s 17 releases have now grossed over $10B worldwide since 1995’s Toy Story.
The big kahuna last weekend, Dory is splashing about in 37 material markets — just 46% of the offshore fin-print — as part of staggered pattern to take advantage of key holidays and competitive dates around the world. Majors like Brazil, Korea, Mexico, the UK and Japan swim into the mix throughout July, and Germany is on deck in September.
Also new this week, Illumination/Universal’s The Secret Life Of Pets barked its way into the UK/Ireland and Norway with an outstanding $15.2M start. In the UK, it scored the 4th biggest original animation opening weekend ever — behind three Pixar pics.
Legendary and Universal Pictures’ Warcraft, meanwhile, has slowed considerably, collecting $5.8M in 56 Uni territories this weekend, but bringing the worldwide total to $412.1M including the $221M China cume. In other highlights, Zootopia and Deadpool continue to charm Japanese audiences and The Conjuring 2 has crossed $150M overseas.
Full breakdowns on all titles are below.
NEW
INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE
Landing in 58 offshore markets, Roland Emmerich’s UFO return (sans Will Smith) scored a $100.1M opening weekend, off about $2M from the Sunday estimate. That is just on the edge of the $100M-$150M range we had heard on the disaster pic ahead of its bow. With an overall B CinemaScore, domestic audiences gave Resurgence a $41.6M start, and overseas is where this film has been expected to make up for any shortfall. Latin America was good (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and others set records for Emmerich) as well as South East Asia, even if China came in at No. 2 behind Now You See Me 2.
Each of those films boasts a local star attraction. In the case of IDR, Angelababy was a draw while NYSM2 has singer/songwriter Jay Chou to help bring out a wider cross-section at the outset. The China bow on IDR was $37.7M with no history of the franchise locally. It’s Fox’s 4th best ever opening there, but legs will be questionable given the looming slew of Chinese movies due to hit the PROC across July. IMAX was better than expected in the market with a $6.4M debut. Overall, IMAX brought in $10.8M for Fox’s best international opening ever in the format.
Elsewhere, Korea was led by IDR and $7.3M. The UK ($7.3M) and Australia ($3.5M) starts were softer and comparatively more akin to the U.S. Stars Jeff Goldblum and Liam Hemsworth recently sat on The Graham Norton Show‘s couch to get British audiences excited, but with the UK reeling from the Brexit vote, folks may not have felt much like seeing London destroyed on film. India surprised as Fox’s top opening ever with $3.5M, coming in ahead of Russia and its $3.4M. Although that was a No. 1 debut with 50% of the share, high temperatures across parts of Europe played a role in keeping folks otherwise occupied. IDR opens in 11 new markets next weekend, including Spain and Sweden.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
From Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, this animated original from director Chris Renaud is another slow-burn release. Going out in just the UK/Ireland and Norway this weekend, it played 70 dates for $14.1M worth of kibbles (and about $1M off its estimate). After playing the Annecy festival recently and screening for European exhibs in Barcelona last week at CineEurope, Pets is pawing at new franchise potential for the Despicable Me/Minions partners. For pet-owners and the pet-curious, the concept of what our pets get up to when we leave the house is, well, universal. But there is a lot of competition this summer between Dory and the coming Ice Age: Collision Course. Pets is currently at 78% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and opens domestically on July 8. International rollout continues over the next four months including in China on August 2.
This weekend, Pets dominated UK/Ireland box office — surely a nice alternative for families overwhelmed by Brexit — with 42% of the market. Pets won the weekend with $13.4M (down from the estimated $14.3M) at 579 dates including previews. Excluding the early plays, the 3-day frame was $8.1M (down from the $9M estimate) and chalked up the 4th biggest original animation opening weekend in the market. Norway took No. 1 as well, with $778K at 140 dates. Next weekend sees Hong Kong, Israel, Taiwan and Vietnam join the cause.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
NOW YOU SEE ME 2
Lionsgate’s sequel performed a heist at the offshore box office this weekend, pulling a much higher than expected $52.1M (up from the estimated $50.9M) out of 55 markets. Leading those was China where the studio reports its best-ever start with $444.4M (the previous champ for Lionsgate was 2013’s Escape Plan at $22.8M). The bow was 377% bigger than NYSM1.
That takes the offshore total to $108.3M to date; the original 2013 pic topped out at $234M abroad. The other Top 5 markets are Russia ($14.2M), Australia ($6.1M), Brazil ($5.7M) and Taiwan ($5.3M). There are several more hubs to come for the John M Chu-helmed pic that stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Lizzy Caplan and singer/songwriter Jay Chou. July alone sees the UK, Korea, Mexico, Spain and France on deck.
FINDING DORY
The forgetful blue tang now has an offshore cume of $110.3M after making a $37M splash in 37 markets this frame. There is much more to come for Disney/Pixar’s little fish as release is staggered across key plays over the summer and into September. Overall, excluding China, Dory dropped by 32% from last weekend in like-for-like markets.
Spain ($4.9M) and France ($4.7M) were the top new openers this weekend, both logging No. 1 starts. Spain came in 6% below Inside Out and 43% above Monsters University. France was 16% ahead of IO in admissions and 54% over MU. France has the annual Fête du Cinéma event beginning today with tickets reduced over three days. (Today might be a slightly softer box office day in the market, however, as Les Bleus just pulled out a 2-1 victory over Ireland to advance to the quarters of the Euro Cup.)
China is Dory’s top offshore territory with $30.1M to date. While Disney is coming off of a powerhouse run with Zootopia in the Middle Kingdom, Chinese audiences typically aren’t as hot on Pixar movies. Nevertheless, Dory, Nemo and Marlin are on track to shortly overtake Monsters University, Pixar’s biggest grosser ever there. Rounding out the Top 5 markets are Australia ($15.5M), Argentina ($7.7M), Russia ($6.4M) and Spain ($4.9M).
THE CONJURING 2
Keeping the supernatural scares coming, New Line/Warner Bros’ sequel has zoomed past $150M internationally to cume $155.7M after adding $20.6M on 9,016 screens this frame. Italy was the major new opener at No. 1 with $1.1M on 372 screens. The UK consulted a further $2.3M for an $11M total which bests the lifetime of Annabelle and puts it 8% ahead of the first Conjuring at the same point in release.
Spain ($3.8M cume) and Germany ($3.5M cume) held well against new openers while Indonesia continued its record-breaking run with a wild $11.37M total. That bests the first Conjuring by 53% and Annabelle by 46%. Indonesia is the film’s 4th best offshore market; 1-3 are: Mexico ($18.6M), Korea ($11.5M) and India ($11.46M). The UK is No. 5.
ME BEFORE YOU
MGM/New Line/Warner Bros’ tearjerker crossed $60.8M this weekend internationally (higher than expected), with great openings in Mexico ($3.8M) and Germany ($3.2M). The total weekend offshore for the Emilia Clarke/Sam Claflin-starrer was $18.1M (up from the Sunday estimate of $17.5M) with Spain, Russia and Italy among key markets yet to bow. Mexico beat the opening weekend of The Fault In Our Stars by 40%, coming in No. 2 for the frame. Germany was a strong No. 1 on 509 screens and is tracking well ahead of comps including TFIOS by 114%. The Euro 2016 soccer play continues to enthrall in Europe with Germany playing just tonight and this film has been fine counterprogramming to the action on the pitch.
Brazil, which was the top market on World Cup counterprogrammer TFIOS two years ago, added $2.7M to drop just 20% for a total $8.2M. The top market remains the UK with $11.6M followed by Korea at $5.4M and Australia at $5M.
WARCRAFT
Slowing down after its front-loaded debut in many markets, Legendary and Universal Pictures’ Warcraft grossed $5.8M in 56 Universal territories this weekend. That takes Uni’s international total to $147.1M. After 19 days in China, the total there is $221M which pushes the worldwide cume to $412.1M. There were no new openings this weekend, but there are six more to come next weekend: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Japan.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
From New Line and Universal Pictures, the Dwayne Johnson/Kevin Hart comedy tabulated another $4.8M in 28 territories. The offshore cume is now $14.2M and the worldwide haul $83.5M. There were four openings in the current frame including a No. 2 in South Africa, with $374K at 128 dates. That tops comps like 21 Jump Street, Two Guns and Ride Along 2. Peru was a No. 4 start with $253K at 84 dates and is looking like Uni’s best comedy opening ever after the two Teds in the market. Germany gave CI the No. 2 slot in its 2nd frame, taking in $1.2M for an 11-day total of $3.6M. Next weekend sees bows in key plays of the UK and Mexico.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
Ahead of this coming weekend’s China and France bows, TMNT2 saw folks shell out $3.6M in 51 international markets this frame. The cume is $76.8M to date. With investment from Alibaba Pictures and help in the local marketing, TMNT2 should push past $100M with the Middle Kingdom. It also has several other majors to go as rollout continues. Thost include Italy on July 7, Germany on August 11 and Japan on August 26. Brazil, a major play for the last installment, has cumed $4.3M after two weeks; Australia is at $3.9M after three and Mexico is at $9.2M after four.
X-MEN: APOCALYPSE
The mutants banded together for another $3.5M in 37 markets this frame. The international cume has come to $374.5M. After 24 days in China, the total there is $118.6M. France, where Euro 2016 play is in full swing, saw a 34% drop in its 6th frame. Japan is still to come on the Fox film. It squares off with The Jungle Book in that market on August 11.
MISC UPDATED CUMES/HIGHLIGHTS
Disney’s Zootopia has just spent its 8th weekend as the No. 1 Western film in Japan, adding $1.7M for zero change from last frame. The cume there is $66.7M. In total, the critters of Zootropolis have amassed $676.1M internationally and $1,016.5M worldwide.
Also from Disney, The Jungle Book added $3.4M in its 12th frame of overseas release for a new $571.8M tally. The worldwide cume is now $929.8M with Korea swinging for another $2.5M ($16.2M cume). Japan is still to come on August 11.
Disney misfire Alice Through The Looking Glass, too picked up another $3.6M — in its 5th offshore frame. The international cume is $175.1M while globally it has cumed $249.4M.
Feathering the next with $2.6M more this weekend, Sony’s The Angry Birds Movie now has a cume of $228.7M in 79 markets. The biggest grossing market is, of course, China with $74M following by the UK with $14.3M. Japan is still to come for Red & Co.
Warner Bros’ Money Monster cashed in a $1.4M weekend for $44.9M to date internationally. In highlights, Mexico’s cume is now $12.8M.
Universal’s Neighbors 2 crossed $100M in worldwide box office with an international total of $45.8M. The offshore weekend on the comedy was $1.3M in 26 territories and 1,496 runs. Spain got off to an early start to offset the Euro Cup play and today’s general elections. The frame was worth $682K at 280 dates. There are 4 more releases: Italy this weekend and Belgium, France and French-speaking Switzerland on July 6.
Fox’s Deadpool is still hanging around Japan – taking the No. 2 spot for a Western film and dropping just 28% from last frame. The full tally this weekend was $982K there which brings the local haul to $16.6M and the international cume to $419.4M.
NOTEWORTHY:
The Witch (UNI), $15M internationally, $40.2M worldwide
The Wailing (FOX), $48.1M int’l
Gods of Egypt (LGF), $963K int’l, $144.3M ww
Anita Busch updated Monday finals.
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