Around
the World Round Up
by Kenan
Bresnan
Sugar,
spice, and every thing nice. No,
I'm not talking about New Line's
teen blunder from spring; I'm
talking about this week's
ingredients for the int'l Fall
box office. Overseas' audiences
packed the theaters this week at
the comedies and romances. American
Pie 2 continued its
dominance in Germany, as well as
huge openings in the UK and other
places. Bridget Jones's
Diary wooed audiences in
France, Legally Blonde captivated
Australia, America's
Sweethearts reigned in
many territories including
Mexico, Scary Movie 2 commanded
Italy, and Moulin Rouge saw
show-stopping debuts in Spain and
Scandinavia.
In
the United Kingdom, Universal's
teen comedy American Pie
2 scooped up an enormous
$7,974,391 from 420 screens on
its opening weekend. It easily
led the market with Moulin
Rouge being the closet
competition with $1,251,196 on
393 ($20,302,465 to date). Also
in the UK, the Jack Nicholson
starrer, The Pledge
saw a large screen average of
$6,050. It wound up at the 11th
spot with a wonderful $205,704
from 34. Disney doesn't look to
surprised as they let Atlantis:
The Lost Empire out of
the box in several selected
markets. The film took an
unsensational $115,366 on 40. In
comparison, Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within tried
that stunt earlier this year with
a phenomenal $40,000 from one
screen, but couldn't even grab
$3.5 million total.
The
teen-laffer led the field in
Turkey ($292,000 on 53) and
Denmark ($255,000 on 35) as well
and continued its amazing run in
Germany where it has $22.5
million to date (dropping a
reasonable 41%). The
UIP-distributed comedy was this
frame's top earner, whipping up
$13.2 million from 1,701 screens
in 12 countries, catapulting its
cume to a grand $38,963,238.
In
France, Bridget Jones's
Diary scored bigger than
Notting Hill with
$4,533,235 on 620 in just five
days. Va Savoir couldn't
gain the momentum it had in the
US as it took $343,944 on 120
screens. Thirteen Days did
just about as good as it could
have done with $283,691 from 137
as Angel Eyes faltered
with $245,118 on 117, failing to
crack the top 10.
Thanks
to Japan's $11.7 million in 23
days, Germany's $19.3 million,
and Spain's $11.8 million Bridget
has climbed to $161.9
million.
Down
Under Legally Blonde ruled
with an impressive purse of
$1,271,830 on 266. With the
two-week's previous previews, the
Reese Witherspoon vehicle already
has $2,031,768. Fox didn't forget
about the men. They were served
with the Jet Li actioner, Kiss
of the Dragon which
stole a nifty $660,250 on 152
screens.
In
Russia, Legally Blonde courted
a great $267,000 on 30 and fared
OK in Norway, but was terrible in
South Korea. It has $2.5 million
to date.
The
Julia Roberts' headliner America's
Sweethearts reigned in
Mexico, wooing $1.1 million 261
(a record for Roberts, beating Runaway
Bride, and was the
market's second-highest October
bow). It also ran to the top in
Brazil ($842,000 on280), Croatia,
Egypt, Malaysia, and Yugoslavia.
The romantic comedy couldn't
quite unseat American Pie
2 in Germany, but scored
a great $1.7 million on 334
nonetheless. It's scored $20
million from 20 markets.
Scary
Movie 2 commanded pole
position in Italy, scaring up a
nice $1,554,711 on 334. It's
pocketed $35.3 million from 28
territories.
Uprooting
The Others'
six-week campaign, Moulin
Rouge swept Spain
ringing up $1.4 million on 228.
In Sweden, the Fox tuner scored a
hearty $382,000 on 40. In Denmark
it took an average $169,000 on
30, in Finland it did better with
$145,000 on 22, and in South
Africa it couldn't capitalize on
word-of-mouth with an even
$112,000 on 48.
Lara
Croft: Tomb Raider defied
the common relation in this weeks
int'l BO as it ascended to $120.5
million, spurred by Japan's $11.3
million in nine days. And Rush
Hour 2 gravitated to
$64. 6 million, driven by The
Netherlands's feisty $424,000
opener on 88, and Spain's so-so
$1.8 million in 10 days.
Next
weekend, Planet of the
Apes tries to break
records in Bulgaria, Croatia, the
Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia,
Slovenia, and Turkey. Moulin
Rouge goes heavty
numbers in Austria, Germany,
Hungary, and Poland. France is
served by Le Petit Poucet,
which grabs 510 theaters and American
Pie 2, which takes on
499 theaters. In the UK, a ton of
major openers are released. Atlantis:
The Lost Empire increases
its 40 theaters past the 300 mark
as it faces Osmosis Jones
directly. America's
Sweethearts, Kiss
of the Dragon, and Rat
Race also fight for the
top which could be led by AP2
again. In Australia,
Leelee Sobeliski gets one of her
first int'l debuts as The
Glass House tries to
fend off Scary Movie 2.
And in Germany John
Carpenter's Ghost of Mars,
The Fast & the
Furious, and Moulin
Rouge race for the top
spot as Apocalypse Now
Redux and Ghost
World try out limited
release.
American
Pie 2 should conquer the
French BO with Le Petit
Poucet just under it. In
the UK AP2 as a
very good shot at leading again
and albeit America's
Sweethearts finishes
first the openres. In Australia Scary
Movie 2 should climb on
top with $1.5 million. And in
Germany The Fast &
the Furious should
unseat American Pie 2.
These are my
predicted foreign totals for the
selected films:
Atlantis:
The Lost Empire: $78
million
The
Princess Diaries: $71
million
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:
$181 million
Cats &
Dogs: $110 million
Final
Fantasy: The Spirits Within:
$101 million
Planet of
the Apes: $210 million
Rush Hour
2: $151 million
American
Pie 2: $161 million
The Others:
$126 million
*Numbers are
changed whenever a market
produces unexpected numbers.
Check out the FRANCE
FORECAST
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