‘Star Trek Beyond’ Beams Into China With $31.3M Bow;

UPDATE, WRITETHRU: Paramount/Skydance’s Star Trek Beyond got a boost this weekend, landing at the top of the international box office chart thanks to a $31.3M debut in China. The full frame was worth $37M across 40 markets for an offshore cume to date of $131.1M.

China’s strong FSS take is 107% above Star Trek Into Darkness’ 2013 bow. That film went on to $57M in the PROC. The China debut is also bigger than the $30M STB launched to in 37 offshore markets in late July.

Beyond comes with Chinese investment from Alibaba and Huahua Media which mounted a targeted promo campaign. Popular variety show Happy Camp devoted an episode to the film with participation from stars Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana and Zachary Quinto.

Also upping the Chinese profile, Happy Camp co-host Xie Na and her husband Zhang Jie have a combined 120M followers on Weibo, the local equivalent of Twitter. Zhang acted as the film’s Chinese ambassador and sang its local theme song. He also made a special appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego in July.

China has been in a well-documented slump this summer, although it showed a rise in August receipts. While both Jason Bourne and Ice Age: Collision Course provided a big bump there last week, they have dropped by 92% and 86%, respectively, in the 2nd frames (worth noting, though, that both opened on a Tuesday so had much longer first sessions). It will be interesting to see how STB fares in its sophomore Middle Kingdom frame, especially with that local muscle behind it. A number of homegrown pics along with Sony’s The Shallows roll in next weekend.

Elsewhere there was precious little new under the international box office sun this weekend, with no major wide releases. Expansions include Ben-Hur, Don’t Breathe and Mechanic: Resurrection. And, The Secret Life Of Pets continues to hop along, now having crossed $400M international and $750M worldwide while becoming the No. 3 movie ever in Russia by leap-frogging cousin Minions.

Breakdowns on the films above and more have been updated below.

NEW
MORGAN

The horror thriller from Scott Free Productions and director Luke Scott opened in 24 international markets including the UK and the UAE, taking $1.4M in total. The UK led the frame at $240K and in 19th place with the UAE following at $210K. Kate Mara stars as a corporate risk-management consultant who must decide whether or not to terminate an artificially created humanoid being. The film, which opened this weekend in 17th place domestically with $1.96M, expands to 10 further offshore markets next week including Mexico and Russia. More adult-skewed than other current horror fare, it is up against such movies as Lights Out, The Purge: Election Year and Don’t Breathe which will make for rough going on a film to whom reviews have not been kind.

HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
STAR TREK BEYOND

A $37M offshore weekend in 40 markets takes the total on Paramount/Skydance’s latest entry in the franchise to $131.1M. China was the clear leader at $31.3M and on the heels of a strong local marketing push engineered with Chinese investors Alibaba and Huahua. The bow was 107% better than Star Trek Into Darkness which ultimately cumed $57M in the Middle Kingdom in 2013.

There were five other openings this session including Brazil where the Enterprise was No 2 with $1.7M at 479 locations and 211% over STID. Venezuela also bested the main comp by 684% (and Star Trek by an astonishing 3701%) despite opening at No. 4. STB took $1.4M at 70 sites.

Korea ($8.9M cume), France ($4.9M) and Spain ($2.6M) were all in their 3rd frames. Argentina and Mexico beam up next weekend and Japan joins the crew on October 21.

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS

Crossing $400M international and $750M worldwide, Illumination/Universal’s Pets got a $17.3M tummy rub this weekend in 55 territories. The offshore cume is $403M; globally it’s at $762.7M. Singapore was new in the frame at No. 1 with $1.3M across 30 dates. The opening is No. 2 among animated films this year, just behind Dory.

In Russia, Pets lovers gave the film a third consecutive weekend at No. 1 with $3.1M and a total $30.2M. Today, it passes Minions to become the No. 3 highest grossing movie ever in the market — behind Avatar and Zootopia. Japan has now cumed $36M and Brazil has tallied $9.3M, holding the top slot for the 2nd week in a row.

The $800M worldwide milestone is next with Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa and Italy still to come.

JASON BOURNE

Adding $12M in the frame, the Universal franchise entry raised its international total to $223M. Worldwide is $379.3M. On Saturday, the Paul Greengrass/Matt Damon reteam became the highest grossing film in the series overseas, besting The Bourne Ultimatum’s lifetime of $216M. Russia opened this weekend at No. 2 behind Pets with $2.1M. That’s the best bow ever for Bourne in the market. Italy came in at No. 3 with $1.2M and Greece picked up $257K. After launching at No. 1 last frame, Bourne slipped to No. 5 in China with a $3.8M session. The total there is $63.2M. Japan is the final market to release, on October 7.

SUICIDE SQUAD

Lifting the international cume to $375.5M, the Warner Bros DC adaptation added $11.8M in 65 territories. In milestones, the film has surpassed the run of Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice in Italy with a total $12.4M, and also topped that film, and Deadpool, in Spain with $11.8M. Japan is the final market to join the Squad when it opens next Saturday.

ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE
After a strong bow last weekend in China, Fox’s 5th Ice Age entry stuck its course at No. 2 there with a $6.1M frame and a total $59.2M. Italy also held No. 2 behind newcomer Me Before You. The total session was worth $8.2M on 8,254 screens in 30 markets. That takes the international cume to $326.6M.

FINDING DORY

In her 12th weekend in international waters, Dory splashed up another $6.3M in 20 territories. The forgetful blue tang now has an offshore tally of $461.4M and has $943.2M in the global tank. She held onto the No. 1 spot in Scandinavia for the 2nd week in a row and opened No. 1 in Greece and Turkey. The UK continues a stellar run with a 3% drop in the 6th frame. With a total of $51M to date there, Dory gives Disney bragging rights to the market’s top two movies of 2016. The Jungle Book is No. 1. Japan added $700K for the weekend to take the estimated cume to $64.2M. Still to come are Italy and Germany which will help Dory and friends cross $500M international and should be the fin-up to get to $1B global.

LIGHTS OUT
The New Line/WB horror tale flicked on another $5.4M this weekend from 2,460 screens in 53 territories. That switches the international cume to $70.2M. Top offshore play Korea held to a 38% drop and now has a $7M total. France lifted the cume to $3M.

DON’T BREATHE

Sony Screen Gems/Stage 6’s domestic winner added seven markets in the frame to suck up $5.3M in a total of 14. After two sessions, the cume is $8.6M. Australia was the top new play with $1M from 176 screens (+23% on Lights Out). Spain debuted to $815K from 300 screens, on par with The Purge: Election Year. It’s also the No. 1 Hollywood film in India, earning $685K from 363 screens for 12% ahead of Lights Out. Russia dropped 44% for a $2M cume. South East Asian holds were also strong. There are many markets to come here with Brazil, Germany, Italy and the UK up next weekend.

BEN-HUR

Paramount’s chariot rolled to another $5.2M in 46 markets, including nine new openings. The international cume is now $29.7M. Spain was a No. 1 debut with $1.1M and Germany picked up $634K in 7th at 464 locations. Holds include Brazil with a $5.5M cume and Mexico where the total is $6M. Strapping on the sandals next frame are France, Russia and the UK.

BAD MOMS

The STX comedy crossed $100M domestic earlier this week and overseas added $5M from 50 markets in the current session. The offshore total is now $37.7M with a worldwide total of $141.2M. Russia was a new opening at No. 4 with $530K at 732 dates. In holds, the Moms continue to play in Australia where they were No. 1 again in the 4th weekend. The cume there is $9.6M. In the UK, the 2nd session was good for a 4% dip, landing No. 3 with a cume of $3.9M. Mexico now has a total $1.85M and is tracking well ahead of Bridesmaids and How To Be Single.

SAUSAGE PARTY
Seth Rogen’s fiesta raged into the UK at No. 1 with $3.6M from 407 screens and besting the openings of Neighbors 2 (+38%) and 21 Jump Street (+49%). The Sony comedy brought in a total $4.6M from over 1,000 screens in 17 total overseas markets. Holds were strong with a cume of $14M to date. Russia joins the party next weekend.

NERVE

Lionsgate’s YA thriller grossed an estimated $4.3M from 50 markets this weekend, raising the international cume to $16.3M. New were Australia with $738K from 182 locations, and Mexico with $461K from 481. The top plays on the Emma Roberts-starrer are the UK and France, both at $3M to date. Germany gets Nerve-y on Thursday.

NOW YOU SEE ME 2
The Lionsgate sequel opened in Japan, its final market, this weekend with $1.9M. The full session conjured $3.6M from 47 markets with the international cume now $263.6M.

MIKE & DAVE NEED WEDDING DATES
Fox’s comedy crossed $25M at the international box office, earning $3.4M this weekend from 24 markets. The Stangle brothers landed a No. 2 start in Germany with $1.4M and were No. 1 in Mexico with $1M. The UK dipped only 14% in the 4th week for a $3.35M cume.

PETE’S DRAGON
In its 4th frame, the Disney animation added $3.3M in 26 territories. The international cume is $28.2M with global nearing $100M at $92.4M. There were no major new markets this frame. The UK and Germany both grew by 15% with Australia and Mexico on deck in two weeks.

THE SHALLOWS
Sony’s survival story took $3.2M this weekend in 61 markets ahead of the China bow on…

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