Avatar rules overseas for 11th weekend with $36.1m haul

The sci-fi adventure remained active on 6,26 screens in 70 markets and fell less than 25%. Factoring in the $706.6m North American gross, the global running total stands at $2.55bn.

In the latest series of notable benchmarks James Cameron’s space opera became the biggest grossing release ever in Italy on $90m after just seven weekends, crossed 14million admissions in France, set a new record of 13million admissions in South Korea, stayed top in Japan for the tenth consecutive weekend, crossed $100m in Spain.

It added $3.9m in Japan from 604 for $140m, $3.5m in France from 449 for $168.8m, and consolidated China’s status as the biggest overseas market for the film after only eight weekends as $4.2m from 792 raised the running total to $177.3m.

Elsewhere Avatar added $4.3m in Germany from 498 for $139.7m, $3.6m in the UK from 391 for $140.5m, $2.0m in Italy from 371 for that $90m industry record, $2.2m in Spain from 300 for $100.2m, and $1.5m in South Korea from 197 for $105.8m.

Russia stands at $113.3m, Australia $97.9m, Brazil $53.2m, Mexico $43.2m, Holland $24.5m, Denmark $22.8m, Sweden $21.4m, Hong Kong $21.3m, and Austria $15.2m.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief continued its promising early run and added $19.5m from 6,759 screens in 65 territories for a $95.8m running total. It opened second in Japan on $4.1m from 561 and added $1.5m in France from 547 for $8.8m after three weekends.

The children’s fantasy adventure grossed $1.4m in Spain from 415 for $3.7m after two, $1.4m in South Korea from 283 for $9.8m after three, $1.4m in the UK from 453 for $10.3m after three, and $1m in Brazil from 275 to raise the tally there to $5.9m after three.

Alvin And The Chipmunks 2 added $1.8m from 1,975 in 23 for $220.2m, and Fox International Production’s (FIP) Indian hit My Name Is Khan grossed a further $1.9m from 1,015 in 12 for an early $29.4m after three weekends. The drama added $1.1m in India from 820 for a terrific $21.3m and $299,016 from 82 in the UK for $3.7m.

Another FIP production, the Chinese language Hot Summer Days, added $2m from 1,374 in five for an excellent early $16.3m. The film added $1.7m in its third weekend in China from 1,250 screens for $15.7m. Fantastic Mr Fox stands at $22.6m from six territories and has reached $1.7m in France. Tooth Fairy has reached $37.8m from 13 territories.

• Shutter Island continued its excellent early form as it grossed $19m through Paramount/PPI over the weekend, boosting the running total to a highly promising $34m, of which $19.5m comes from Paramount markets.

Leading the way was France, where Martin Scorsese’s mystery opened top on $6.8m from 522 sites in a career-best for the director. There were further number one debuts in Belgium on $826,000 from 46, Taiwan on $533,000 from 51, and Portugal on $286,000 from 55.

A solid $1.6m hold in Australia from 213 raised the tally to $5.1m, while $418,000 in the Netherlands from 52 elevated the gross to $1.1m.

In a trio of non-Paramount territories the star of the weekend was Germany, where Shutter Island launched on $3.7m from 472. The film held on to the top berth in Spain as $2m from 412 raised the running total to $6.1m, and added $833,000 in Russia for $4.7m. Paramount Vantage International licensed rights to Germany and Spain at the EFM in 2008.

The Lovely Bones added $6.3m from 3,328 in 34 for $35m and opened in 12 territories including South Korea on $705,000 from 183 and Spain on $700,000 from 263. The drama’s biggest hold came from the UK where $1.9m from 428 raised the cumulative total to $6m after two weekends.

Up In The Air added $2.6m from 1,682 in 52 for $68.5m and The Crazies, Breck Eisner’s remake of the 1973 George A Romero film, opened in second place in the UK day-and-date with North America on $1.9m from 345.

• Valentine’s Day grossed $10.4m through Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) from 4,300 screens in 64 territories as the early running total reached $87.5m. The film is closing in on the $200m worldwide mark after crossing $100m in North America over the weekend.

It added a little over $2m in its second weekend in France for $7.3m and stands at $2.1m in Brazil..

Sherlock Holmes came in significantly higher than originally reported by WBPI over the weekend. The action film added $7.8m from more than 2,785 in 47 for an excellent $276.5m and generated a terriric $4.1m launch in China from 612 screens over four days. Combined with the $205m North American tally the film has amassed $480m worldwide.

Invictus added $6.4m from 2,586 in 39 for $71.9m and scored a $2.8m number two launch in Italy on 440 screens for Clint Eastwood’s biggest ever launch as director.. Blind Side added $3m from 319 screens in six and has amassed $3.8m from the early stages. It opened top in Australia on an excellent $2.5m from 221.

• Universal/UPI’s The Wolfman bit a $10m chunk out of the international box office at the weekend. Active in 5,302 venues in 57 territories, the horror film boosted its running total to $63.3m.

A $3.4m Russian launch in second place from 440 sites was a key driver for the weekend, as was a third weekend at the top in Mexico where $1.2m from 482 raised the tally to $8.8m. The Wolfman launched in Poland on $320,000 from 60. There are five territories to go including Japan on April 22.

It’s Complicated stands at $90.2m following a further $3.6m from 1,600 in 41. The romantic comedy opened well in third in Brazil on $1m from 168 and ranks third after the second weekend in Japan, where $570,000 from 287 elevated the gross to $3.1m. There are 13 territories to go.

Couples Retreat added $770,000 from 414 in ten and the comedy now stands at $61.2m. It opened in France on $570,000 from 129 and launched in South Korea on $110,00 from 70.

A Serious Man added $136,000 from 62 to reach $6.5m from Universal’s seven territories. The Coen Brothers’ comedy opened in Argentina on $57,000 from 15. The overall international running total is $19m.

• The Princess And The Frog maintained its impressive run as a further $7.7m from 3,203 screens in 36 territories raised Disney’s widely admired hand-drawn animation to $143m.

France, where the film ranks second after five weekends, now accounts for roughly one-fifth of the overseas tallyon $27m following a $2.7m haul from 700. The UK generated $1.3m from 504 for $15.6m, Spain produced $1.1m from 371 for $10m after four weekends, and the Benelux delivered an excellent $1m from 206 for $5.8m after four.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International launches The Princess And The Frog in Japan next weekend, although all eyes will be on Alice In Wonderland.

Tim Burton’s 3D fantasy will open in more than 40 territories day-and-date with North America. Commencing with Italy and Sweden on Wednesday, Alice will expand into the UK, South Korea, Russia, Mexico and Poland over the weekend.

• Sony Pictures Releasing International reported a $2.6m weekend for Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballsfrom 1,350 in 20 markets, brining the animated feature to $112.5m.

The Book Of Eli added $1m from 390 in 14 SPRI markets for $5.7m, while Did You Hear About The Morgans? added $930,000 from 590 in 38 for $48.8m and has reached $2.2m in Italy after two weekends.

CBS Films’ Extraordinary Measures opened in the UK on $215,000 from 264 screens and Friendship!stands at $14.1m in the UK after six weekends and has taken $14.5m in total overseas.