Eclipse rules overseas as $81m sinks tough competition

Summit International reported a running total of $219m from 9,440 prints in 63 markets after two weekends. Despite the hot weather, stiff competition and the World Cup final, Eclipse got off to a storming start in the UK on approximately $21m (£13.8m) including previews for the biggest launch of the year-to-date.

This was bigger than the launch of Spider-Man 2 and 3 and Pirates Of The Caribbean At Worlds End.  New Moon opened on £11.67m without previews and Twilight launched on £2.5m.

In France, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner plundered roughly $12.4m (€9.8m) and 1.63m admissions in the biggest launch of 2010 so far. This surpassed the opening weekends of Iron Man 2, Robin Hood, Transformers 2, and Twilight.

South Korea also delivered a strong start as Eclipse drew roughly 1.1m admissions compared to 906,000 including previews for New Moon and 535,000 including previews for Twilight.

• Shrek Forever After continued its excellent recent surge as a further $56.2m from 7,022 sites in 47 territories through PPI boosted the tally to $210m with several major debuts to come.

The animation debuted in 17 markets this weekend, opening number one in 16. The biggest total came from a stunning opening in Brazil, where the film recorded the all-time highest opening gross for an animation on $7.4m from 456 locations, 24% more than Shrek 3 and 15% ahead of Alice In Wonderland.

In Spain, despite competition from the World Cup final and the summer weather, the film took $5.2m from 626 locations, while in Poland, it grossed an excellent $3m from 122 locations.

There was an all-time opening record in Argentina on $3.2m from 141 sites. Elsewhere the green ogre took a rock solid $1.5m in Norway from 101, $1.3m in Portugal from 103, and $950,000 in Sweden from 164.

The UK led a string of mighty holds on $8m from 817 for $27.2m after only two weekends. France delivered $5.8m from 934 for $20.2m and South Korea produced $4.3m from 682 for $11.7m. Australia produced a further $2.5m from 380 for $20.1m after four.

Shrek Forever After opens next weekend in Mexico, Belgium, Czech Republic and South Africa.

The Last Airbender touched down in four markets, grossing $10m from 1,205 locations. Leading the way was a terrific number one opening in Russia on $8m from 870 sites.

• Toy Story 3 generated a further $39.1m through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International (WDSMPI) from 6,992 theatres in 39 territories to bring the relatively early running total to $213.1m.

The film set an opening weekend record for a Disney animated title in Japan on $10.6m (¥940m) from 456 theatres over Saturday and Sunday, overtaking the previous high of ¥893m set by Finding Nemo.

There was another fine debut as Italy delivered $5m (€4m) from 428 over five days, matching the December holiday start of Finding Nemo. The Latin American region has generated a memorable $110m to date.

Toy Story 3 is WDSMPI’s 33^rd release to cross the $200m mark and with many territories yet to release has a long way to go.

It currently ranks as the company’s 27^th biggest release and the global tally stands at $553.3m, making this Disney’s sixth biggest animation and its 12^th biggest release overall. France and Hong Kong are next weekend’s new territories.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time added $2m from more than 4,000 sites in 26 territories for $236.4m, while Alice In Wonderland stands at $689.1m overseas and $1.023m worldwide.

• Updated results from Fox International reveal that Predators opened day-and-date with North America on 3,155 screens in 22 markets, grossing a solid $17.3m from approximately 3,100 screens.

The UK led the way in third place on $3.3m from 391 locations, followed by Japan in second place on $2.7m from 373 screens, Russia on $2.8m from 700 screens, and Australia on $2.4m from 209 screens. It opens in another nine markets next weekend including France, Italy and Belgium.

Knight And Day grossed $10.9m from 3,224 screens in 30 markets, bringing the international tally to $38.9m. The film opened top in China on $4.8m from 1,158 screens after six days of release, and scored the fourth biggest Fox opening in India on $1.5m from 319 screens.

The action comedy added $1.9m in South Korea from 327 screens for $10.9m. Knight And Day will touch down in a further 20 markets next weekend, among them World Cup finalists Spain and Holland, as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Holland, Mexico and Sweden.

The A-Team grossed $1.6m from 1,714 screens in 40 markets for $58.1m, while Marmaduke added $1.2m from 809 screens in 18 markets for $18.3m. Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland open next weekend.

• The Karate Kid added $11.5m through Sony Pictures Releasing International from 1,485 screens in 27 markets for a $34.7m running total. It opened top in Mexico on $3.8m from 701 and third in Australia on $3.2m from 241, rising to $5.8m including previews.

The film grossed $12.3m over the weekend including China, for an industry-wide $42.1m cumulative tally.

The comedy Grown Ups added $1.6m from 252 in five for $7.9m and has taken most of that - $7.5m – from Australia in three weeks on release.

• Universal’s Despicable Me opened through UPI in four territories day-and-date with the number one North American launch, grossing $5m from 736 sites.

The animation opened in Russia on $3.4m from 553 for the third biggest animated debut of the year-to-date behind Shrek Forever After and How To Train Your Dragon. Singapore generated an excellent $804,000 from 47 for Universal’s fourth biggest animated debut in the market.

Get Him To The Greek grossed $1.8m from 720 sites in 12 territories for $18.5m. The comedy has generated $8.2m in the UK after three weekends and ranks fourth, and Australia stands at $7.2m after four. Robin Hoodhas amassed $203m after nine weekends.

• Sex And The City 2 generated $2m through Warner Bros Pictures International from approximately 2,710 screens in 56 markets to raise the cumulative tally to $185.5m.