March 30 - April 1, 2001
(Grosses in millions)

Around the World Round Up
by Kenan Bresnan

Appearing at the top spot in more than 10 countries the internationally titled "Miss Undercover" or better known as Miss Congeniality minted $9.8 million from 22 markets last weekend. Boffo bows included Germany's $2.8 million from 424, Austria's $400,759 on 59, Belgium's $317,928, and Iceland's $36,973 from 5. Also included are Israel and South Africa. But foreign pics stole the numbers for the undercover caper in Italy and South Korea where it could only muster $350,000 from 144 screens and $435,000 from 60 respectively. The Sandra Bullock-starrer dipped by 4% in Holland reaching $0.99 million. In Taipei, it tumbled a to-be-expected 45%, totaling $1 million (Taiwan $2 million), and, in Swiss Alps, it actually improved by 2%, climbing up to $805,000.

Other openers didn't fare as well due to stiff competition from foreign pics. Meet the Parents only took $424,000 from 9 key cities in Japan, its final stop. That should equal about $1.7 million for a nationwide number. The kid flick Doraemon 2001 dominated the BO again for its fourth week. Parents is at an overseas cume of $131 million.

The Emperor's New Groove took a soft $1.3 million on 565 in France beat by La Tour Montparnasse Infernale, which started the French film trend with Belphegor, Fantome du Louvre to come next week.

Another Disney film Remember the Titans took a modest $450,000 from 180 theater in Spain and a terrible $550,000 on 330 at the 10th spot where local hit Torrente, Mision en Marbella took a socko $2.9 million from 273 for 80% of the territories total. Totaling just $10 million Japan, France, Italy, and Belgium will probably only bring it to a very poor $17 million.

Still cashing in on the Oscars, Steven Soderbergh's Traffic eased just 7% in its fourth weekend in Italy for a cume of $3.8 million. Slipping only 4% in the U.K., the drug-war saga has $11.1 million in its 10th lap. With impressive numbers still from France and Spain and Germany and Japan still to come, its tally is $40.3 million.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon added $1.8 million to its pot from 800 screens. Sony's international take is $44 million and Good Machine International's is $21 million for a total of $65 million.

Chocolat cooked up $4.1 million, all from holdovers, on nearly 1,500 screens, pushing its total to $41.1 million in 36 territories. Standout victories are from the U.K.'s $7.4 million, Italy's $6 million, and Germany's $5.7 million.

Gladiator continues to have poor results, but it's just extra cash for the number two film of last year in the international box office.

Fox's Dude, Where's My Car? roll along in Germany with $3.5 million in 11 days and Spain's $3.2 million in fourth weekends, but Austria' s $486,684 doesn't bode well for smaller territories. Opening in Australia the comedy took a fabulous $902,000 from 156 for a foreign total of $15.4 million in 19 markets.

The January hit, Save the Last Dance "placed" in the U.K. with a solid $1.5 million on 340 and dipped 35% in Germany, fetching $2.9 million in 11 days. If results continue this way that domestic $88 million will be tough to catch.

Next week Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, Saving Silverman, and new comedy One Night at McCool's opens in the United Kingdom. France gets local films from Belphegor, Fantome du Louvre and Yamakasi along with Miss Congeniality, 15 Minutes, Proof of Life, and Digimon: The Movie. Pay It Forward and Traffic take on Germany. BO blunders from Thirteen Days and Monkeybone open in Italy. Probably Hannibal's biggest opening yet comes from mighty Japan next week. On Thursday in Australia Oscar nominated film Amores Perros bounces in along with first time opener from See Spot Run and more kids films from The Emperor's New Groove, The Little Vampire and Rugrats in Paris: The Movie. Also, for the teens Save the Last Dance.

Expect France to have a huge weekend with Belphegor, Fantome du Louvre to take the top position playing on 615 screens for a total of probably $7.2 million. Miss Congeniality will probably only take $3 million because of playing on 330 screens. Rugrats should lead the U.K. and Hannibal will be the rest in Japan.