April 27-29, 2001

Around the World Round Up
by Kenan Bresnan

The international market is uneasy as it waits for blockbusters from The Mummy Returns and Pearl Harbor. The only winners are from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Bridget Jones's Diary has continued to reign atop for its third straight week. Miss Congeniality has stayed at pole position for five weeks now. Gallic's own Amelie of Montmartre (Le Fabuleux desitn D'Amelie Poulain) smashed into the top spot on its first weekend.

In the United Kingdom Bridget Jones's Diary fetched another amazing $5,022,277 still above the $10,000 screen average mark. In just three weeks, its cume is already an amazing $30.8 million. Spy Kids fell by an average 34% which is about the same as the first week increase. It already has a good $7.5 million. The Mexican opended to a mediacore $1,610,404 for a $4,140 screen average on 389. It will probably fall anywhere from 30-40% next week which could take it to an unimpressive $7.5 million. Reaping $730,934 from 243 screens Exit Wounds opened at the forth spot to not bad numbers. Warner Brothers (its distributor) raved that it was better than The 6th Day, but that is nothing to boast about.

Exit Wounds also opened with $355,000 on 50 in Taiwan and a soft $485,200 on 246. Warner Brothers opened to estimated tallies of $139,000 on 98 in Italy and $900,000 in France on 311.

Julia Roberts' newest film did, however, pull in a sturdy $320,000 on 44 from Belgium, $212,000 in Switzerland from just 25 screens, and $182,000 from 52 in The Philippines. In France, where the average ticket price is $5.20, The Mexican pulled in about $1.95 million give or take $100,000 on 135 screens. The French box office was overtaken by Amelie of Montmartre. Estimated numbers put it at an astounding $6.17 million from 432 screens. That beats Brotherhood of the Wolf's screen average. In the U.S., Miramax has distribution rights for the film.

Miss Congeniality continued to beat the rest in Germany where a lack of competition has elevated it German cume to over $14 million. Miramax's Wes Craven Presents: Dracula 2000 proved toothless in Deutscheland ringing in just $724,000 on 360. Its cume is a mere $7 million from 20 territories. The Sandra Bullock starrer totaled $5.7 million from 2,733 engagement in 41 markets last weeknd to make its foreign cume an impressive $72.8 million. The secret agent caper polished a good $387,000 on 120 in Brazil and $283,000 on 60 in Argentina. Others openers in Chile, Colombia, Norway, and Poland had pleasing numbers.

UIP's Hannibal has almost finished its international run with openers in South Korea and South Africa. In South Korea the film opened to $775,405 on 83 screens says Universal. And in South Africa on its first day it had a higher gross than The Lost World, The Mummy, The World Is Not Enough, and Mission: Impossible 2 and ranks in the top ten all time openings in South Africa. It took $351,000 in its opening three days on 76 there. Hannibal has $157,510,402 in foreign markets bringing its worldwide total to $322 million.

The Emperor's New Groove has taken a good $66.7 milllion in all overseas markets and with Japan and Spain ahead, it should finish on par with 102 Dalmatians' $114.6 million foreign total. The Glen Close starrer is nearing the end of its foreign excursion.

Two terrible openers from Fifteen Minutes and Say It Isn't So opened to poor $486,000 on 200 and $163,000 on 150 respectivley.

Next week Captain Corelli's Mandolin should show us how it will do in the States in the United Kingdom along with Along Came a Spider. Thirteen Days and Valentine battle it out in Australia. Almost Famous, The Wedding Planner, and Exit Wounds open in Germany. While in France Highlander: Endgame, The Kid, Men of Honor, Bring It On, The Contender, and Best In Show all open.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin has received mixed reviews, but it could knock off Bridget Jones's Diary in the United Kingdom with Along Came a Spider in third. Thirteen Days may open at the top spot in Australia while France will be led by the same film, Amelie of Montmartre. Miss Congeniality may not even get knocked off for its sixth straight weekend, but Exit Wounds could pull it off.

Check out the France Forecast