February 15-17, 2002

Around the World Round Up
by Kenan Bresnan

Previous weekend rollouts held strong last weekend as the international marketplace saw one more movie pass the century and two movies that look like they could soar past the $200 million mark.

In Poland, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring shattered the all-time industry opening weekend record with $2 million from just 109 screens. With Russia and Poland having similar strong openings look for The Fellowship to clean up in Eastern Europe where very few titles do. Elsewhere its 13 Oscar nominations helped it hold unusually strong. In the United Kingdom it only fell 17% for another $1.4 million weekend. New Line estimates its weekend gross at around $13 million and its cumulation at $434 million.

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone didn't let an almost no-show at the Oscars hurt itself it it saw its total climb to $612 million and its worldwide total levitate to $926.1 million!

The field was still fresh in the U.K., Turkey, Argentina, Norway, and Denmark as Ocean's Eleven cashed in on the low competition. In the United Kingdom it took a fantastic $7.2 million from 433 screens falling just short of the top spot, which Monsters, Inc. held for the second week in a row. In Turkey the casino caper grabbed $474,000 on 75, $426,000 on 80 in Argentina, $374,0000 on 51 in Norway, and $343,000 on 51 in Denmark. The film was last weekends front-runner with an impressive $25 million weekend on 4,300 screens in 38 territories, hoisting its foreign total to $149.7 million. It's poised to pass the $200 million mark joining several other films (see chart at bottom).

Monsters, Inc. also cashed in on its Oscar nominations, which included best Animated Picture, especially in Blightly where it took a socko $8.2 million on 502, dipping just 11% to lift its territory haul to $29.6 million. It's already tracking well ahead of Toy Story 2. Also in its sophomore session Monsters managed a 27% jump in Spain, fetching $2.4 million for a grand total of $4.8 million there. It was the dominant title in Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year taking $1.1 million for $2.2 million in 11 days. Overall for the weekend it took a great $16.7 million from 3,000 screens in 27 territories for a stellar cume of $111.3 million. It also seems poised to cross the $200 million mark with Japan, Italy, France, and other territories still to open in.

Fox found the few gaps in the release schedule last weekend releasing Shallow Hal in Germany, Austria, Mexico, and Brazil for illustrious results. In Germany the film dined out with a great $2.7 million on 500 and it grabbed $392,178 on 53 in Austria. In Mexico the film took a stellar $1.9 million on 230 screens (Fox's fourth highest bow ever), and it grabbed $1 million on 160 in Brazil (its fifth best).

A Beautiful Mind is still contending with Shallow Hal for the top spot in Brazil as UIP estimates its total at $912,000 on 167. The Oscar powerhouse took unusual numbers in France managing a somewhat mediocre $842,000 on 348. Although not the type of picture everybody jumps to see on its opening weekend it wasn't the opening numbers UIP was looking for.

Ali platformed in London at 17 locations for a tepid $174,000, which is decent, but if you'll remember Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within took a fantastic $40,000 screen average at one London theater before opening wide to a mediocre $3.7 million total.

Next weekend Ali goes wide in the United Kingdom along with openers Charlotte Gray and Don't Say a Word. In Germany Collateral Damage takes on a bundle of Germany releases along with The Deep End and re-release of Moulin Rouge! Ali also debuts in Australia, but Black Hawk Down tries to defend its top spot (which it got with $800,000 worth of previews last weekend) and Rabbit Proof Fence also debuts with its $600,000 worth of previews. Black Hawk Down also opens in France at 535 screens along with Serendipity (200 screens) and Life as a House (141 screens).

Monsters, Inc. could captivate the U.K. again as the openers don't look too strong. Albeit Don't Say a Word actually comes out the winner of the openers with $1.5 million followed by Ali's $1.3 million. Arnold Schwarzenegger may still have that international appeal in Asia, but does he still have it in Europe? We shall see with Collateral Damage's opening in Germany. It could take anywhere from $1 million to $3 million. Black Hawk Down should be the winner in Australia with an impressive $2 million and it should be the winner in France (aside from Asterix et Obelix) with $4 million.

2001 DOMESTIC RELEASED FILMS

These are my predicted foreign totals for the selected films:

A Beautiful Mind: $167 million

Monsters, Inc.: $204 million

Black Hawk Down: $141 million

Spy Game: $112 million

Ocean's Eleven: $205 million

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: $578 million

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone: $624 million (I'm going out on a limb!)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire: $105 million

The Princess Diaries: $71 million

Shrek: $259 million

American Pie 2: $161 million

The Others: $126 million

*Numbers are changed whenever a market produces unexpected numbers.