Around
the World Round Up
by Kenan
Bresnan
A
plethora of films claimed the top spot in
every country. Planet of the Apes
saw record's broken in the
United Kingdom, while Cats &
Dogs continued its awesome
international run in Mexico as A.I.:
Artificial Intelligence just
passed its domestic tally topping the
charts in Taiwan. Rush Hour 2 stole
records in Singapore and had a dandy
result in Hong Kong. Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within capitalized
on its critic's and audience's reviews in
France, while The Mexican lost
its battle in Germany.
Launching
its first European tryout, Tim Burton's Planet
of the Apes smashed into the
United Kingdom with $7,864,042 from 446
screens tallying the week's highest
screen average with $17,635. That marks
Fox's third-highest bow there behind Star
Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace and
Independence Day. It
pushed the Top 15's total to the
second-highest weekend of the year
trailing Hannibal's $9
million opening weekend. It also saw
muscular entries in Finland ($233,000 on
45) and The Philippines ($457,000 on
109). Apes was these
week's top grosser as it feasted on $14
million from 2,875 engagements in 29
markets. That brings the primate's
foreign total to a stellar $72.5 million
with practically all of Europe to come.
Its led by Japan's $25.1 million,
Mexico's $8.6 million, and Brazil's $4
million.
Warner/Roadshow's
Cats & Dogs materialized
in Mexico grabbed $1.7 million from 330
screens, but failed to top Spain loosing
to The Mexican, notching
$631,000 on 278. It did disastrous in
France coining just $1.1 million from 547
screens leaving its screen average to a
poor $2,010. Highlighted by the United
Kingdom's $20.6 million in 17 days Cats
& Dogs has totaled $35.3
million from 16 countries.
Surpassing
the domestic tally of $78 million, A.I.:
Artificial Intelligence looks to
contend for this year's top spot
internationally. It grabbed a stellar
$1.1 million from 58 screens in Taiwan,
marking WB's best opening of the year
there. The robot sage continued its
fantastic holds in South Korea (off 25%
for $3.5 million to date) and in Mexico
(down 26%, for $3.6 million to date).
From just five territories, Steven
Spielberg's vision of Stanley Kubrick's
fantasy has earned $79.2 million,
dominated by Japan's out-of-this-world
$70.6 million.
Speaking
of Japan, Spirited Away minted
$7.7 million in its fifth lap! Toho's
toon propelled its total to an awesome
$106.1 million to become the first
foreign hit to cross the century mark
this year. During last week it became the
fastest Japanese film in history to cross
the 10 billion-Yen mark ($82 million) at
25 days. It is definitely in contention
to pass Titanic's $212 million and will
surely pass Princess Mononoke's $156
million.
Rush
Hour 2 did very well in its
first Asian markets. The sequel rang up
$659,149 on 42 screens in Singapore to
become this year's second highest debut
behind The Mummy Returns and
the sixth-highest opening of all time. In
Hong Kong it grabbed $714,854 on 33 for a
phenomenal $21,653 screen average and is
33% better than the original's bow. When Rush
Hour opened in 1998 it was
considered to have not enough action in
Asia, but I guess opinions have changed.
The Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker starrer has
cumed a fine $10.7 million through its
third weekend in the U.K. falling a fair
37%.
The
Mexican made some its final
stops in Germany with a solid $2.3 millin
on 552, but it was beating by Der
Schuch des Manitu's fifth round,
which corralled $2.5 million totaling
$24.4 million. The film reigned in Spain
however with $1.4 million on 303. It will
pass its domestic tally of $66.8 million
as it already has topped $61 million.
With 4
star reviews practically everywhere Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within capitalized
on such rave reviews in France with $2.9
million on 560, which means it's minted
more in five days in France than in its
entire runs in every other market
including the U.K, Mexico, and Australia.
Will it hold its awesome debut? That's up
for debut as it has to contend with Planet
of the Apes next week. The
computer-animated picture's total is
$18.2 million from 28 territories, with
most of Europe ahead and Japan.
Jurassic
Park III flew to $123.2 million,
buoyed by a $9.5 million weekend in 24
territories. It didn't hold so well in
France (diving 45%, scoring $5.7 million
so far), Hong Kong (plunging 57% to $2.4
million) and Belgium (falling 44% to $1.3
million).
Pearl
Harbor still leads the pack with
$219.2 million internationally, driven by
China's late run of $5.9 million in 16
days (easing just 24%) and India's $1
million in 10 days.
Next
weekend Planet of the Apes rushes
onto 700+ screens in France and Denmark,
Iceland, The Netherlands, South Africa,
and Switzerland. Moulin Rouge takes
on Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia,
Panama, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and
Malaysia. Bridget Jones's Diary looks
to continue its great international run
in Germany along with Final
Fantasy, Josie & the
Pussycats, and Get Over
It. Blow, Captain
Corelli's Mandolin, Nurse
Betty debut in Australia along
with A Knight's Tale's first
offshore tryout. And Crocodile
Dundee in Los Angeles, Josie
& the Pussycats, Heartbreakers,
and Tomcats look to get
O.K. numbers in the United Kingdom.
Expect Planet
of the Apes to have a $4
million+ opening in France as Final
Fantasy falls about 40%. Planet
of the Apes should lead all its
opening territories where competition is
slim. Moulin Rouge should
lead all its opening territories except
perhaps Mexico where it could grab about
$2 million. Bridet Jones's Diary should
have a smash debut in Germany as Final
Fantasy takes about $1.5
million. A Kinght's Tale could
end up like Sony's other Summer movie The
Animal in Australia with about
$1.5 million. Planet of the Apes will
most likely lead U.K. again, as Heartbreakers
should take the best numbers of
the openers.
These are my predicted
foreign totals for the selected films:
Lara Croft: Tomb
Raider: $141 million
Swordfish: $85
million
Shrek: $259
million
Bridget Jones's
Diary: $171 million
Moulin Rouge: $82
million
A.I.: Artificial
Intelligence: $311 million
Cats & Dogs:
$110 million
Final Fantasy: The
Spirits Within: $101 million
Planet of the Apes:
$210 million
Rush Hour 2:
$151 million
*Numbers are changed
whenever a market produces unexpected
numbers.
Check out the FRANCE
FORECAST
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