MVA, Dragonball Evolution and Fast & Furious race toward holiday showdown

All three films will be in play in the UK, which once again is shaping up to be a key battleground. Monsters Vs Aliens seeks to stay atop the charts for the second consecutive weekend despite debuts from it two aforementioned rivals as well as Disney’s Race To Witch Mountain.

Monsters Vs Aliens has shot to an early $61.3m international running total and while it launches in five new territories, among them Hong Kong on April 9, Fast & Furious and Dragonball Evolutionspearhead far bigger expansion plans.

Universal’s fourth entry in the action franchise has raced to $40.9m from just over one week in theatres and cruises into a further 23 territories this weekend. Dragonball Evolution stands at $26.3m and is poised to surge towards $50m when it debuts in 28 territories.

Fast & Furious opens in France, French-speaking Switzerland, Switzerland and Belgium on April 8, followed by Russia, German-speaking Switzerland and Singapore on April 9, and the UK on April 10.

Universal’s crime caper Duplicity has reached $18.2m and opens in Mexico on April 9 and Italy a day later, while drama The Boat That Rocked opens in Australia and New Zealand on April 9 and stands at an early $3.9m.

Dragonball Evolution opens in Spain on April 8, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa on April 9, and the UK and Italy on April 10.

Latest figures from Fox International put Marley & Me on $85.1m, Bride Wars on $55.3m, Brazilian sensation Se Eu Fosse Voce 2 on $21.3m, Taken on $73.1m, Valkyrie on $113.2m and 12 Rounds on just over $2m. Slumdog Millionaire has grossed more than $188m through all distributors.

Race To Witch Mountain has taken just under $10m from the early stages through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International and will give families something new to savour this weekend when it arrives in nine territories.

The film lands in the UK on April 10 as well as Australia, Germany, Austria, Argentina, New Zealand and Thailand on April 9, followed by Sweden on April 10 and Taiwan a day later.

Confessions Of A Shopaholic breezes into three territories including Brazil on April 10 and executives will be looking to boost the romantic comedy’s $49.2m international running total. Bolt stands at $179.4m and still has Japan to go on August 1, and Bedtime Stories has reached $108.4m.

Hayao Miyazaki’s animated family adventure Ponyo On The Cliff, which tore up the Japanese box office last year when it grossed $164m through Toho, has amassed $173.7m overseas and lands in France on April 9. The film should do well, considering hit runs there for Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away in recent years.

Sony Pictures Releasing International’s The Pink Panther 2 has reached $35.5m and launches in Japan on April 11, while Paul Blart: Mall Cop on $21.2m opens in several Latin American markets. The International stands at $24.4m, The Damned United has taken $2.2m from the UK, and Quantum Of Solace has amassed $407.6m.

Gran Torino has grossed $83.3m so far through Warner Bros Pictures International and executives will look to push towards the $90m mark this weekend when the Clint Eastwood film opens in Russia on April 9. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Yes Manare winding down and have grossed $202.4m and $131.4m, respectively.

Summit International’s sci-fi thriller Twilight stands at $190m and should surpass the North American tally of $191.5m this weekend, although Screendaily’s international figures suggest it has already done so and stands at $194.6m.

The sci-fi thriller Knowing has grossed $25.1m and arrives in Germany, German-Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Brazil, and Singapore, among others. Red Cliff II opens in Japan this weekend after Red Cliff I grossed $127.8m overseas.