EXCLUSIVE: Gateway Films & Prana Studios’ 3D animated feature opened in second place at the Polish box office last week behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Gateway Films & Prana Studios’ 3D animated feature opened in second place at the Polish box office last week behind The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Saving Santa grossed an estimated $356,000 from 126 screens and 55,000 admissions. Still to come in 2013 are debuts for Russia, Italy and Mexico, while viewers in Japan, China and the Philippines will get to see the film in 2014.

Cinema Management Group (CMG) handles international sales on the family title about one of Santa’s elves who sets off on a voyage of discovery.

Saving Santa follows on from CMG’s success with Zambezia, which became the biggest South African release in 30 years on more than $40m.

CMG’s Khumba has held on to number one in South African in the first two weeks of release.