Lionsgate earlier today reported that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I was tracking 5% over last year’s Catching Fire overseas. In 2013, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire did slightly better abroad than domestically at about $ 440M vs $ 425M. We now have some dollar estimates on the first installment of the franchise finale’s performance in several offshore markets. The estimated early total through Day 2 of international release is over $ 33M.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen pulled an arrow out of her quiver in nine markets on Wednesday including France, Scandinavia and Brazil, and then expanded to a further 59 on Thursday, including the UK, Germany, Australia, Italy, Mexico and Korea. With 17 more bowing today (Friday), the total launch heading into the weekend is 85 markets, the biggest day-and-date release of the year and Lionsgate’s widest release ever.
Lionsgate reports No. 1 openings in virtually every market with the UK at $ 3.6M, including previews, which is 12% higher than Catching Fire. The UK was the top market for Catching Fire, taking $ 55.5M.
Germany, Catching Fire‘s 2nd biggest ex-U.S. territory, earned $ 2.9M on Thursday, up 11% from the previous film and the biggest opening of 2014. Germany was ultimately worth about $ 43M for Catching Fire.
After two days in release in France, Mockingjay‘s gross flew to $ 3M, up more than 10% compared to Catching Fire. It also had the No. 1 opening of the year in Belgium, up 5% from the previous chapter.
Russia posted a record for the biggest 2D opening day of 2014 with $ 2.7M — +28% compared to Catching Fire with 40% of the market.
Australia, which was Catching Fire‘s 3rd biggest territory abroad at $ 34M, gave Mockingjay the biggest opening day of the year so far with $ 2.4M. In other records, Italy scored the best opening Thursday for 2014 with Mockingjay‘s $ 877K, up 8% over Catching Fire’s bow.
Dollar figures for Korea are not yet available, but it’s likely this is the only major territory where Mockingjay did not debut at No. 1. It was up 41% from Catching Fire on its opening day, but Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar is having just an out-of-this-world run there and is expected to be No. 1 for the 3rd straight week. Korea did not figure in the Top 5 of Catching Fire‘s overseas markets, ending up at about $ 7.3M in a year rife with local hits.
Interstellar is still on release globally this week (including in China where this Mockingjay was bumpred to 2015). I’ll be back on Sunday with a full rundown of the global weekend.
Nancy Tartaglione
