Around the World Roundup: 'Ice Age 2' Massive in Second Weekend
Truly mammoth, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $93 million overseas last weekend. The computer-generated comedy exceeded even the highest expectations in its new territories, opening in first place in all of them and breaking records in many. Its weekend also ranked as one of the ten best in international box office history.
Cracking the opening weekend record for both animation and its distributor, 20th Century Fox, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $17.1 million from 1,061 screens in Germany, topping Madagascar by 99 percent and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by a whopping 211 percent.
Figures were almost identical in the United Kingdom, where Ice Age: The Meltdown scored $17 million from 502 screens, ranking as the second biggest animation debut ever behind Shrek 2's $29.6 million. In France, its $12.5 million start from 858 screens was all time second best for animation as well.
All time animation and Fox opening weekend records fell in Denmark ($1.6 million from 92), Norway ($2.1 million from 122 screens), Switzerland ($3.2 million from 139) and Trinidad and Tobago ($24,000).
Ice Age: The Meltdown's start in Austria entered the record books as the largest opening to date with $2.9 million, tripling the original's $960,074 debut in 2002.
Openings elsewhere were less impressive but solid nonetheless. In Australia, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed a sturdy $3.9 million from 388 screens, while neighboring New Zealand yielded $530,507 from 75. In Indonesia, it generated the second highest animated opening ever with $169,000.
Records fell in holdover markets as well. All time second weekend benchmarks fell in Mexico ($4.9 million for a $17.6 million total), Brazil (down just four percent to $3.7 million for a $9 million total) and Argentina ($993,000 for $2.9 million). Receipts in Belgium rose 6 percent to $1.5 million for a $3.5 million total.
Other standout markets include Russia, where Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $5.1 million from 459 screens for a $15.8 million total, and Chile, where it took $731,000 from 77 screens for a $2.3 million total.
All told, Ice Age: The Meltdown has amassed $156 million overseas, and it will surpass $200 million by week's end.
Inside Man added $8 million over the weekend from 32 territories for a $34.5 million total. Italy was the heist thriller's bright spot, with a top-ranked $1.8 million from 207 screens, which was shy of Flightplan's debut there last year. Inside Man continued to thrive in the U.K., falling 30 percent to $1.4 million for a $9 million tally through its third weekend.
A second place opening in Spain headlined V for Vendetta's $4.8 million weekend. The action thriller snatched $1.4 million from 300 screens in Spain. It also debuted in Brazil to a mediocre $381,000 from 100 prints. V's total grew to $31.7 million.
After previously topping $1 million in only two out of 35 markets, The Producers surprised in Japan with a $1 million debut from 272 screens in third place. However, the musical comedy went back to flopping in its two other openings, Singapore ($29,620 from 7 screens) and Austria ($8,050 from 4). Overall, its made $11.4 million.
Meanwhile, Memoirs of a Geisha crossed the $100 million milestone in its 16th weekend of release.
Cracking the opening weekend record for both animation and its distributor, 20th Century Fox, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $17.1 million from 1,061 screens in Germany, topping Madagascar by 99 percent and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by a whopping 211 percent.
Figures were almost identical in the United Kingdom, where Ice Age: The Meltdown scored $17 million from 502 screens, ranking as the second biggest animation debut ever behind Shrek 2's $29.6 million. In France, its $12.5 million start from 858 screens was all time second best for animation as well.
All time animation and Fox opening weekend records fell in Denmark ($1.6 million from 92), Norway ($2.1 million from 122 screens), Switzerland ($3.2 million from 139) and Trinidad and Tobago ($24,000).
Ice Age: The Meltdown's start in Austria entered the record books as the largest opening to date with $2.9 million, tripling the original's $960,074 debut in 2002.
Openings elsewhere were less impressive but solid nonetheless. In Australia, Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed a sturdy $3.9 million from 388 screens, while neighboring New Zealand yielded $530,507 from 75. In Indonesia, it generated the second highest animated opening ever with $169,000.
Records fell in holdover markets as well. All time second weekend benchmarks fell in Mexico ($4.9 million for a $17.6 million total), Brazil (down just four percent to $3.7 million for a $9 million total) and Argentina ($993,000 for $2.9 million). Receipts in Belgium rose 6 percent to $1.5 million for a $3.5 million total.
Other standout markets include Russia, where Ice Age: The Meltdown grossed $5.1 million from 459 screens for a $15.8 million total, and Chile, where it took $731,000 from 77 screens for a $2.3 million total.
All told, Ice Age: The Meltdown has amassed $156 million overseas, and it will surpass $200 million by week's end.
Inside Man added $8 million over the weekend from 32 territories for a $34.5 million total. Italy was the heist thriller's bright spot, with a top-ranked $1.8 million from 207 screens, which was shy of Flightplan's debut there last year. Inside Man continued to thrive in the U.K., falling 30 percent to $1.4 million for a $9 million tally through its third weekend.
A second place opening in Spain headlined V for Vendetta's $4.8 million weekend. The action thriller snatched $1.4 million from 300 screens in Spain. It also debuted in Brazil to a mediocre $381,000 from 100 prints. V's total grew to $31.7 million.
After previously topping $1 million in only two out of 35 markets, The Producers surprised in Japan with a $1 million debut from 272 screens in third place. However, the musical comedy went back to flopping in its two other openings, Singapore ($29,620 from 7 screens) and Austria ($8,050 from 4). Overall, its made $11.4 million.
Meanwhile, Memoirs of a Geisha crossed the $100 million milestone in its 16th weekend of release.
