‘Sing’ Tuning Up $100M+ Overseas; ‘Rogue One’ Tops UK In

In light of the January 1st holiday, all studios will not be reporting weekend international box office today. However, much of what we are seeing across the session shows increases from last weekend which was affected by Christmas Eve and Day falling on Saturday and Sunday. Universal is among those providing an update, noting that Illumination’s Sing is bellowing past the $100M international mark tomorrow. That will bring the worldwide cume close to $300M with plenty of rollout left overseas.

Among the studios we’re waiting on tomorrow is Disney, whose Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is expected to be the squadron leader again in its third frame. The spinoff had grossed $687.7M worldwide through Thursday and with domestic estimates is already well past the $700M milestone this weekend with international not yet factored. Per Disney UK, it has become the biggest movie of 2016 in that market — which is currently the top ex-North America hub.

In the UK, Rogue has made away with £50.7M ($62.6M). That takes it past Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (estimated £50.65M through December 31) to notch the No. 1 spot of the year after just 17 days in release.

In China, The Great Wall is approaching $150M as rollout begins outside the Middle Kingdom, and Hacksaw Ridge has now amassed an estimated cume there of just under $53M. Paramount’s Arrival has also landed across the $150M mark worldwide. After its second frame, Sony’s Passengers is eyeing a $55M-$60M cume through the weekend abroad.

Below is an abbreviated update on the films reporting so far this weekend (comScore also has the day off today for international). Tomorrow’s report will cover all titles.

SING

Whistling a happy tune, Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures’ Sing has pulled in an estimated $24.3M in 56 territories through today. With a $97.8M offshore gross, the Garth Jennings-helmed pic will pass $100M tomorrow. It’s estimated that the worldwide total through Monday will be $281.3M.

This weekend’s gross was 32% bigger than last weekend when Christmas Eve and Day fell on Saturday and Sunday. In Australia, the catchy critters culled $3.2M for a $7.8M tally. Per Uni, the pic began behind Moana last Monday, but gained momentum through the week to currently outpace that Disney title by 12%. The opening is a record for an animated film in Oz in December and the biggest Illumination bow ever.

In Korea, Sing is at No. 3 behind local pic Master and the debut of Rogue One. The cume there is $7.5M. In Mexico and Spain, Sing is No. 1 for the second consecutive week with cumes of $8.2M in each. Germany’s total after four frames is $13.6M. Next weekend, Sing opens the show in Italy and a handful of other markets. Majors still to come include France, the UK, Russia, Japan and China.

ASSASSIN’S CREED

The Fox release was game for another $22M in 49 markets in its 2nd frame. The international cume is now $44.1M. Debuts were strong in Germany ($5.3M/No. 2); the UAE ($1.4M/No. 1), and India ($1M/top MPA title). France dipped just 21% for a $10.6M cume and Belgium rose by 1% for a $1.4M cume to date. Other major cumes include Spain’s $4.86M.

Based on Ubisoft’s popular video game which has sold more than 80M units, the Michael Fassbender-starrer is positioned to play bigger internationally than domestic.

THE GREAT WALL

Legendary and Universal’s Zhang Yimou-helmed epic has built a worldwide warchest of $151.6M through today. In China, the estimated 3rd weekend was $15.4M for a $145.4M cume to date (local estimates have it a bit higher). Elsewhere, the rollout in other Asian markets is healthy at $6.2M. That takes the full weekend to $21.6M.

The Matt Damon-starrer opened No. 1 in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. In HK, the total was $852K at 40 dates for 21% of the market. Malaysia’s No. 1 was $1.3M at 131 with 42% share, and coming in ahead of Jackie Chan-starrer Railroad Tigers. Similarly, Singapore grossed $1.2M with 41% of the market and also ahead of Railroad Tigers. Taiwan took $1.4M at 84 dates, topping the debut of Assassin’s Creed.

International dates roll out over the next few months, with the film landing in North America and many overseas markets on the weekend of February 17.

PASSENGERS

We do not have a full picture on Sony’s Passengers, however the overseas cume is lining up between $55M-$60M through Sunday (including Roadshow in Australia). Weekdays saw bumps this past frame and openings were good in France and Spain. In the former, solid audience reaction resulted in a $1.14M debut including previews. In Spain — where I am currently, and where the posters are ubiquitous — the debut on Friday was $710K for the No. 2 slot, landing on par with The Martian and above sci-fi comps like Interstellar and Edge Of Tomorrow. Theaters on Saturday closed in the Spanish mid-afternoon. Germany, Brazil, Japan, Korea and China — which releases January 13 — are still to open. We’ll have more on Passengers on Monday.

WHY HIM?
The Bryan Cranston/James Franco comedy added $10.1M from 41 markets, including the addition of Australia ($3.48M) and the UK ($2.75M). The offshore total after debuting during Christmas weekend is now $14.3M. Mexico fell by 31% for a $1.8M cume while Israel dipped just 4% ($680K cume) and Peru saw a 3% bump ($418K).

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Seeing a nearly 9% uptick on Christmas weekend, Warner Bros’ Beasts added $8.7M this frame in 59 markets. The international cume is now a fantastic $551.1M for a $775M global total. The top markets through January 1 are: China ($85.6M), the UK ($63.7M), Japan ($54.1M), Germany ($33.7M) and Korea ($33.4M).

ALLIED
Paramount’s Allied added another $5M in 34 markets to bring the cume to $47.1M overseas. Australia had a good start at No. 4 with $3.8M at 232 locations. Germany’s second weekend saw a 49% increase from last weekend at 301 sites for a $1.4M cume. The next major releases are Italy and Korea on January 12.

COLLATERAL BEAUTY

Warner’s Will Smith drama added $4.6M over the New Year frame in 39 markets. The total offshore is now $19.9M. The UK opened last Monday (Boxing Day) and has cumed $1.4M. Hong Kong picked up $404K including sneaks on 36 screens. Comping Thursday-Sunday results there, the weepie more than doubled New Year’s Eve, is 43% ahead of The Pursuit Of Happyness and 35% weightier Seven Pounds. Italy opens Jan 4, followed by Australia, Germany and Brazil throughout the rest of the month.

MONSTER TRUCKS
Par’s Monster Trucks began soft rollout overseas on December 21 in France. It is also now open in the UK and has grossed $2.8M to date. The UK is the lion’s share of that at $2.2M at 472 sites. France has taken in $678K at 281. This is the film on which Viacom took a $115M charge in September. The next major releases overseas are Russia on January 5; Mexico and Spain on January 6; and Australia on January 12.

MISC CUMES/NOTEWORTHY

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (FOX): $1.3M intl weekend (3 markets including 23% jump in Italy); $197.9M intl cume
Trolls (FOX): $965K intl weekend (13 markets); $182.1M intl cume
Nocturnal Animals (UNI): $800K intl weekend (36 markets – Brazil good with $104K at 63 premium cinemas); $13.3M intl cume
Snow Queen 3 (UNI): Russian animated franchise installment grossed $700K (Russia only); holidays continue this week

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