Breaking Dawn registers $291m worldwide launch

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 scored the biggest international opening weekend of the franchise, compared to $132m for New Moon in 2009 and $104.2m for last year’s Eclipse. Combined with the $138.1m North American debut the worldwide tally stands at $291m according to estimates.

The international debut through Summit International licensees is all the more remarkable given the fact that the film has only been active for three days in most territories, whereas a film like Eclipse opened mostly over a five-day weekend.

The UK number one debut was the biggest individual result outside North American on $21.9m (£13.9m) for a franchise record opening weekend and the fifth biggest three-day gross in history. The Nov 18 opening day generated $9.9m (£6.3m) and resulted in the biggest single-day gross for the series.

Russia generated $16.1m and France delivered $14.9m (€11m) and an estimated 1.8m admissions for the fourth biggest opening weekend of the year-to-date after the Harry Potter finale, Tintin and local comedy Rien A Declarer.

Australia produced $12.8m ($12.1m AUD) following the third biggest opening day of the year-to-date on Nov 17 with $3.7m ($3.7m AUD) from 616 screens. Italy delivered $12.2m (€9.1m) from 805 screens while the opening day generated $5.5m (€4.1m)

In other results:

Spain – $11.8m (€8.7m) including previews following biggest opening day of 2011 on Nov 18 on $3.7m (€3m).

Brazil – $10.2m for the second biggest opening weekend of the franchise behind Eclipse’s $10.5m launch.

Mexico – $8.2m, behind the record franchise opening weekend set by Eclipse on $9.3m.

Sweden – $4m including previews for the best launch of the franchise and the second best of the year-to-date behind Pirates 4.

Philippines – $2.9m overall and $948,000 (41.2m PHP) on Nov 18 opening day for the biggest Friday in industry history. Belgium also delivered a $2.9m opening weekend.

Denmark – $2.3m for the best launch of the franchise and the second best of the year-to-date.

New Zealand – $1.9m for the second best of the year-to-date behind the Harry Potter finale. The opening day produced $542,000 (NZ$709,971) from 65 sites.

The Netherlands – $1.4m following a $315,000 (€232,937) opening day and 30,297 admissions from 103 screens.

Portugal – $1.3m for the best launch of the franchise and the second best of the year-to-date behind the Harry Potter finale. Opening day generated $222,000 (€163,672) and 33,702 admissions from 90 screens.  

UAE – $1m for the number one launch of 2011 so far.

• The Adventures Of Tintin is bearing down on $200m after bringing in a further confirmed $25.4m over the weekend in 53 Sony and Paramount markets to reach $187.6m.

The film should soar past $200m within the week now that Paramount has assumed more of the heavy lifting – the two distributors each brought in roughly $10m from their territories over the session – and held well against the extraordinary Breaking Dawn launch.

Tinton opened in China through Paramount Pictures International (PPI) on $7.4m from 7,030 screens and brought in a further $2.3m from 759 in France through Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) for $50.3m after four weekends.

Elsewhere it stands at $22.9m in Spain through SPRI and $22.7m in the UK through PPI after the same amount of time. Germany has generated $14.5m, Sweden $9.8m and Belgium a tremendous $8.1m, all through SPRI after four weekends.

Moneyball added $5.4m through SPRI from 1,220 screens in 16 markets for $15.5m and opened in South Korea on $1.9m on 252. Japan has generated $5.6m after two.

Arthur Christmas expanded into German-speaking Europe and brought in $5m overall from 1,610 in five for a promising $9m early international running total. A further $3.6m from 837 in the second weekend in the UK raised the tally to $7.6m and the film opened in Germany on $1.1m from 630.

Jack And Jill grossed $1.6m from 697 in the second weekend in Mexico and Colombia and stands at $5.7m, $5.2m of which comes from Mexico.

• Relativity Media’s action fantasy tale Immortals grossed around $17.5m through Lionsgate licensees, a figure sources expected to rise considerably once results came in from China, Russia, Taiwan and several other territories. The haul includes $3.9m from six active Universal markets and puts the running total at $65.8m overall.
• PPI reported that Paranormal Activity 3 has reached $94.5m following a $3.4m weekend from 2,550 sites in 52 markets. The horror film is now the biggest in the franchise internationally.
• Real Steel grossed $6.9m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International for a terrific $159.9m running total. DreamWorks stablemate The Help added $1.4m for $28.4m and The Lion King 3D stands at $64.4m.Warner Bros Pictures International reported that Happy Feet Two brought in $2.6m from 969 screens in Mexico plus four smaller markets. It opened in Mexico on $1.5m from 745 screens nationwide.

Contagion added a confirmed $3.2m from 1,620 screens in 44 markets for $59.7m and has reached $8.7m in the UK, $5.1m in Australia and $4.8m in France. Happy Feet Two generated $2.6m from 1,000 in five and ranked second in Maexico on $1.4m.

• Universal’s Tower Heist grossed $4.5m through UPI from 2,500 venues in 38 territories for $27.4m and opened in South Korea on $356,000 from 184. The biggest result of the weekend was an $800,000 hold in Germany on 422 for $3.9m after three weekends. The UK has generated $6m after three.

Johnny English Reborn has reached $150m following a $2m weekend haul from 2,500 sites in 50 territories and stands at $31.9m in the UK after seven weekends. Morgan Creek’s The Thing stands at $6m from 10 of Universal’s 28 territories and A Dangerous Method, which the distributor has in five, stands at $1.9m. The Debt is on $13.5m.

• Fox International’s sci-fi thriller In Time added a confirmed $4.6m from 2,317 screens in 54 markets and the New Regency production has grossed a respectable $62.6m.

Highlights include $14.3m in Russia, $8.1m in Australia and $3.9m in Taiwan – all after four weekends. The film has grossed $7.3m in the UK after three.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes stands at $304.6m and Fox International Production’s You Are The Apple Of My Eye has reached $22.2m.

• StudioCanal reported that The Awakening has reached $822,022 in the UK and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stands at a superb $21.9m.