Refresh for latest…: After its sadly disappointing start last weekend, Warner Bros and Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux is still a sad clown, adding an estimated $22.7M from 77 international box office markets this session (a 70.5% drop). The overseas running cume now stands at $113.7M and the worldwide total is currently $165.3M through Sunday. The outlook offshore is about a $150M final.
New this session was Japan where Joker 2 was the top U.S. title with $2.4M. The Top 5 overseas to date are the UK ($11.8M), Germany ($7.9M), Italy ($7.6M), Mexico ($7.4M) and France ($7.1M). China still has to release, but we’re not expecting firecrackers. The Imax total to date is $13.5M global, of which international is $7.3M.
Onward.
The wild run of Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot continues as its staggered rollout added 19 markets including France, Spain, Italy and Brazil this session. The offshore weekend tally was $24.1M (-23% in the holdovers), for a $64.7M international cume to date. Globally, the Chris Sanders-directed charmer is at $148.5M. Overseas, the running total is performing above The Bad Guys, Migration and Trolls in the same markets (excluding China). Still to release are the UK this coming Friday, and Japan on February 7 next year.
Among the openers, France was tops with $3M, including $700K from two Sundays of previews. The No. 1 start is in line with Puss in Boots 2 and Elemental. The title will play through All Saints holidays, which start next week, and word of mouth is expected to propel it to a strong run. The AlloCiné audience score is a fantastic 4.5. The movie was screened as a work in progress at the Annecy festival this summer.
Spain was also a No. 1 start, with $2.3M (including $128K of previews). This is more than 3x Puss in Boots 2 and Migration excluding previews. The opening Friday was in line with Frozen and Coco. Wild Robot launched with a presentation at the recent San Sebastian Film Festival, supported by talent presence and coinciding with the screening at the Sitges Film Festival. Audience reactions are wildly positive with the highest ever FilmAffinity score for a DWA film at 7.9.
In Italy, The Wild Robot was a clear No. 1 with $1.9M. Brazil likewise gave the movie a No. 1 start with $1.4M which includes previews.
In holdovers, Australia surpassed the lifetimes of Kung Fu Panda 3, Hotel Transylvania and Trolls Band Together this week. At No. 1 in weekend 4, the cume is now $9.4M through Sunday.
Also notable,Korea surpassed the lifetime of Migration this weekend, reaching $3M through Sunday. The CGV Egg rating is an incredible 99%, with local audiences deeply touched by the movie’s heartwarming message and reportedly calling it “the best DreamWorks animation movie ever.”
The Top 5 overseas markets to date are: Mexico ($10.8M and coming off just a 6% drop), Australia ($9.4M), China ($7M), Germany ($3.3M), France and Korea ($3M each).
Paramount/Hasbro’s Transformers One added nine markets this weekend including the UK and Germany. In the former, a No. 1 launch brought in $2.4M from 583 locations including paid previews, and amid school holidays. Germany didn’t fare quite so well, with a No. 7 start of $555K.
The full international weekend was $6.2M, lifting the running overseas cume to $58.5M and global to $111.4M. France is still to release, on October 23.
Just in time for Hugh Jackman’s birthday, and as it notched the highest-selling first week ever for an R-rated film on domestic digital platforms, Marvel/Disney’s Deadpool & Wolverine has become the No. 20 global movie of all time theatrically. With an estimated worldwide cume of $1,334.5M to date ($635.2M domestic and $699.3M international), this weekend saw the BFFs pass Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. D&W is also closing in on passing Barbie domestically to become the No. 12 release there ever.
Here are the Top 5 overseas market cumes on D&W: UK ($73.8M), China ($59.7M), Australia ($44.5M), Mexico ($43.5M) and Germany ($40.7M).
In local news, Chen Kaige’s The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death continues to lead China’s box office, now at roughly $140M after two frames. Warner Bros landed the No. 2 spot this frame there with the rerelease of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone which grossed $6.6M. This is part of a push to put all HP franchise movies in cinemas through the first week of December.
MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (WB): $4.6M intl weekend (76 markets); $144.7M intl cume/$420.3M global
Despicable Me 4 (UNI): $2M intl weekend (84 markets); $600.2M intl cume/$961.2M global
Speak No Evil (UNI): $1.9M intl weekend (77 markets); $38M intl cume/$73.2M global
It Ends with Us (SNY): $1M intl weekend (52 markets); $198.1M intl cume/$346.4M global