Refresh for latest… Universal’s Jason Bourne rode back to the top of the international box office this weekend, coming off of a $50M start in China which broke records for the franchise there. In total, Bourne revved up a $56.8M weekend in 62 markets to take the offshore total to $198.5M. That pushes it past The Bourne Legacy and puts it just under $17M shy of The Bourne Ultimatum‘s overseas record for the series which it will cross this week. The global tally is $348M.
The strong China debut, in what has been a sluggish summer at local turnstiles, surpasses the lifetime of all Bourne films in the Middle Kingdom. The Bourne Legacy was previously the biggest grosser in the territory with a total $34.2M.
China grosses were also key this frame to Fox’s Ice Age: Collision Course which skated in at No. 2 for the international weekend with $50M in 37 markets, including $42.5M worth of acorns in the Middle Kingdom. Ice Age now has an overseas total of $306.7M.
Bourne and Ice Age were both released on August 23 in China and widely outperformed holdovers. Ice Age also logged the biggest opening weekend in 2016 for a non-local animated title there.
Last weekend’s international champ, Illumination/Universal’s The Secret Life Of Pets, kept wagging in 57 overseas territories, lapping up a $24.6M weekend for $371.2M in the offshore kitty. Worldwide, Pets has crossed $700M to collar $724.4M.
Warner Bros’ Suicide Squad slayed another $19.6M in its 4th frame, lifting the supervillains to $353.1M overseas and $636M global. Also notable from WB, Lights Out crossed $60M offshore after a $9.6M weekend while Paramount’s Ben-Hur and STX’s Bad Moms each bagged $6.3M.
As summer draws to a close in many markets, this was largely a holdover/expansion session. There were no major studio wide releases, although Jason Statham-starrer Mechanic: Resurrection hit about 20 hubs. The weekend falls at an estimated $6.1M internationally. Breakdowns on the films above and others are being updated below.
HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
JASON BOURNE
After logging the biggest international opening day for the franchise as it began offshore rollout in late July – and the best offshore weekend launch ever in the series – Jason Bourne is poised to overtake the lifetime of the series’ top performer overseas, The Bourne Ultimatum, this week. That film grossed about $215M offshore in 2007. That’s roughly $178M in today’s dollars. The current offshore cume on JB — which reteams director Paul Greengrass and star Matt Damon — is $198.5M. Domestic is $149.3M and the worldwide gross is $348M.
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Each of the previous pics starring Damon drew higher numbers domestically versus international. The Bourne Legacy, which went a Damon-less route in 2012, is the only one in the series to have made more overseas. That was partly down to China which threw off a $34M take to help pad a $164M offshore cume against the franchise-low domestic haul of $113M.
Jason Bourne arrived in China on Tuesday this week (August 23) and opened to a franchise best before going on to take $50M for the frame. That surpasses the lifetimes of all films in the franchise. The $50M start in a market that has lost a lot of steam this summer is muscular and essentially ties JB’s first international weekend of $50.7M in 48 markets. The full weekend frame this time was $56.8M in 62.
Bourne also opened in Mexico to $1.5M and No. 1; the biggest in the franchise. France is the top hold with a 19-day total of $8.3M. Outside China, the best plays are the UK ($27.8M), Korea ($19.1M), Australia ($14.9M), France and Germany ($6.9M). There are four more territories to release: Greece, Italy and Russia on September 1, and Japan on October 7.
ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
Fox
Fox’s fifth film in the franchise was also new in China this frame, trapping $42.5M there for a No. 2 start behind Bourne. The debut makes it the top non-local animated opening in the Middle Kingdom this year. Continental Drift in 2012 went on to a $68M gross there. The full weekend was $50M in 37 markets with Italy also a new play. Scrat, Manny, Sid and Diego were No. 1 there with $4.8M including previews. Germany and France continue to play strongly with cumes of $23.8M and $22.2M, respectively. The international total is $306.7M. The film has now released in all overseas markets.
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
Universal Pictures
Universal/Illumination’s animated quest clawed away at another $24.6M in 57 territories to bring the international total to $371.2M. The pack now has $724.4M in worldwide kibbles. Brazil was a new opening, at No. 1 with $4.9M which is the biggest August launch weekend for a toon ever. Indonesia ($980K) and the Philippines ($1M) also bowed in first place. After a Duke-sized opening last session, Russia is the best hold with $4.8M in the frame for a $24.9M 11-day total. In Japan, Pets is No. 1 for the 3rd consecutive week and has a total $30.9M. There are still seven markets to go, including Italy which opens in October. Venice Film Festival attendees will be treated to a premiere screening when Illumination chief Chris Meledandri is honored on the Lido September 5.
SUICIDE SQUAD
WB
Warner Bros’ supervillain mashup grossed another $19.6M this weekend on 9,600 screens in 65 territories. The David Ayer-directed gang now has an overseas total of $353.1M. Worldwide, it’s at $636M. In Australia, the Squad has now topped DC cousin Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice with $23.1M. Germany was the top hold, still at No. 1 with $2.4M on 926 screens. The cume there is $11.2M. In its 3rd weekend in Italy, it landed at No. 2 and has a $10.6M total to date. The UK remains the top market at $39.9M. Japan is still on deck for September 10.
LIGHTS OUT
Warner Bros
New Line and Warner Bros’ horror pic turned up the heat this frame taking $9.6M from 3,400 screens in 55 territories. That flicks the overseas cume across $60M to $60.2M. The best start was Korea where it placed a strong No. 2 behind local holdover Tunnel with $3.9M from 640 screens, and ahead of another local hold as well as newcomer Ghostbusters. The results were double Insidious 2 and 34% ahead of Annabelle. David F Sandberg’s pic also bowed in France with $1.5M on 190 screens and during a heatwave. It topped Insidious 2 by 42% and The Purge: Anarchy by 18%. The film continued play in the UK with a $3.3M total after two weekends; likewise Spain is at $3M after two and Brazil dipped 30% in the sophomore session for a total $1.9M. Mexico leads at $5.5M.
BEN-HUR
MGM/Paramount
In its second race around the coliseum, Paramount and MGM’s redo laced up another $6.3M in 35 markets. There were 12 openings on the Timur Bekmambetov-helmed pic which is rolling out through September. The international cume is now $21.8M. The top opening was Australia with $789K at 226 locations and a No. 4 start. Argentina and the Netherlands both gave Ben-Hur No. 2 launches with $419K and $408K, respectively. Brazil and Mexico, which are among markets where the genre tends to do best, were the top holdovers this weekend with $1.4M and $1.1M each. Brazil’s total is $4.4M after 11 days; Mexico’s is $4.9M. There are several majors to come including Germany and Spain this week, followed by France, Russia, the UK, Korea and Italy.
BAD MOMS
STX Entertainment
The STX comedy went for a stroll in 13 additional markets this frame including the UK, Mexico and New Zealand. The weekend was good for $6.3M at over 3,300 locations in 46 total. The offshore cume has reached $28.7M for a worldwide tally of $124. 1M. The UK was the top start for Mila Kunis and crew with $1.85M from 460 dates. The bow is on par with Sex Tape and 27% over Trainwreck. Mexico opened No. 5 with $875K, 112% ahead of Bridesmaids and 168% higher than How To Be Single. New Zealand was a No. 1 launch with $410K, also topping comps. In its 3rd weekend in Australia, the Moms overtook Suicide Squad for the No. 1 slot, dropping 20% from last session and with a cume of $8M.
FINDING DORY
Disney
Dory swam to Scandinavia this weekend, adding $6.1M in 19 total territories for an international cume of $449.5M. The global tide rises to $929.1M. There were No. 1 bows in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Sweden ($1.4M) leapt out of the water, opening 52% bigger than Secret Life Of Pets and 32% over Inside Out. In the UK, Dory kept her hold on No. 1 spot in her 5th session. Dory is the top animated release of 2016 in the market with a total $46.8M. Japan continues to lead at $62.2M. Italy and Germany are coming up in September.
WAR DOGS
Warner Bros Pictures
Warner Bros’ Todd Phillips-directed comedy contracted $5.3M on approximately 3,300 screens in 41 markets. After the sophomore session, the international total is $14.9M. The UK opening was on par with Argo at $1.2M on 486 screens. Russia has a cume of $3.5M after two weekends and Australia held with $665K to take the total to $2.1M. The Jonah Hill/Miles Teller-starrer heads to Mexico, Brazil, Spain, France, Italy and Germany throughout September.
STAR TREK BEYOND
Paramount
A week before it beams up in China, Paramount/Skydance’s latest in the franchise added $4.7M this frame. The overseas cume is now $92.1M in 51 overseas plays. In a competitive Korea, the total is $8.1M after two sessions. Also in their 2nd frames, France has grossed $4M and Spain is at $2M. Along with China, Brazil opens next frame, followed by Mexico on September 9 and Japan on October 21.
PETE’S DRAGON
The latest Disney animation took in $3.5M in 23 territories this weekend, including Germany which opened to $300K. Offshore, the cume is $21.5M. The UK leads overseas with a $4.3M cume. The next major markets are Australia and Mexico in mid-September, along with Brazil and Korea at the end of the month.
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