Martial-arts adventure The Forbidden Kingdom came up trumps this weekend with a $16.8m take from 10 territories, making it this weekend's number one international film.
The Chinese-US co-production expanded in five territories including Russia and South Korea, for a mammoth second weekend rise of 416%.
The film, starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan, played across 2,336 screens for a $7,201 screen average, the second highest of the weekend. It is distributed by Lionsgate and Huayi Brothers and achieved a record-breaking opening-day gross in mainland China, raking in $2.29m on April 24. It has taken $11.4m to date in China, making it the biggest domestic title in the territory this year.
Ca$h coins it in
French film Ca$h was the highest new entry this weekend with a $3.6m take on 549 screens in France, Belgium and Switzerland. The film, distributed by TF1 International, enjoyed a $6,501 screen average, putting it at number eight on the chart.
A further three French holdover titles remained in the top 30 this weekend, led by Europa's Taken, which fell just 4% in its ninth weekend, thanks to a continued strong run in South Korea. The thriller, written by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, took $2.5m across 428 screens for a $5,944 screen average. It has generated nearly $20m to date.
Pathe's box-office sensation Welcome To The Sticks still remains in the top 15 despite a 54% drop - its largest decline after nine weekends on release. The comedy took $2.4m from 941 screens for a $2,591 screen average. It boasts a $192m tally to date from just four territories.
And Studio Canal's Disco was down 65% in its fourth weekend with a $1.1m take from 741 screens. The Gerard Depardieu comedy has a $22.4m cumulative total.
Indian film Tashan, from Yash Raj Films, was the second highest entry of the weekend. The action adventure took $2.5m from 344 screens in 15 territories for a $7,376 screen average. It is the directorial debut from Vijay Krishna Acharya who also wrote the film; he was responsible for 2007's Guru, which took more than $24m worldwide.
Four Japanese films, all released through Toho, accounted for 6.9% of the top 40 revenue this weekend led by holdover title Detective Conan: Full Score Of Fear. The animation, directed by Yasuichiro Yamamoto, fell 34% in its second weekend but managed to stay number one in its home territory with a $2.7m take. The film played on 335 screens for a $7,988 screen average and has generated $8.1m to date.
New entry Shaolin Girl came in at number 21 this weekend with a $1.8m take in Japan. The female action film, starring Kou Shibasaki, played on 312 screens for a $5,903 screen average. It is directed by Katsuyuki Motohiro who made Udon.
Crayon Shinchan 16, another Japanese animation, fell 39% in its second weekend with a $1.4m take on 317 screens for a $4,646 screen average. The latest instalment of the manga series boasts a $4.3m total to date. And new entry Sand Chronicles came in at number 28 with a near $1.2m take from 244 screens. The film is based on the manga series by Hinako Ashihara and stars Nao Matsushita.
Thailand had a hit this weekend with new entry See Prang. The four-piece horror anthology fell just shy of the $1m mark, taking $929,672 from 113 screens in its home territory for a sturdy $8,227 screen average. It is released through GMM Tai Hub.
Marshall moves into new territories
Elsewhere, Universal's Forgetting Sarah Marshall flew the flag for the Judd Apatow gang, taking $7.1m from 995 screens. The US comedy was up 304% after expanding in seven territories, including the UK where it took $4.2m with previews and Russia where it took $850,000.
And Spanish horror film (Rec) re-entered the chart with a $1.3m take in its 26th weekend, after opening in France.
The top 40 international films generated $104.2m across 36,933 screens for the period April 25-27.
| ANALYSIS: INTERNATIONAL BOX-OFFICE WEEKEND APRIL 25-27 | ||||||
| (Last | 3-day | |||||
| week) | Film (origin) | gross $ | Scrs | Cume $ | Terr | |
| 1 | (10) | The Forbidden Kingdom (US-Chi) | $16,822,350 | 2,336 | $24,695,800 | 10 |
| 2 | (22) | Forgetting Sarah Marshall (US) | $7,114,587 | 995 | $9,639,553 | 9 |
| 3 | (1) | 21 (US) | $6,151,771 | 1,786 | $30,737,747 | 27 |
| 4 | (3) | Street Kings (US) | $5,564,243 | 2,585 | $20,036,457 | 45 |
| 5 | (2) | Horton Hears a Who! (US) | $5,021,383 | 4,512 | $125,920,064 | 30 |
| 6 | (9) | Fool's Gold (US) | $4,928,553 | 1,809 | $26,302,474 | 39 |
| 7 | (5) | The Spiderwick Chronicles (US) | $4,173,271 | 2,877 | $80,844,748 | 45 |
| 8 | New | Ca$h (Fr) | $3,569,213 | 549 | $3,569,213 | 3 |
| 9 | (4) | Step Up 2 the Streets (US) | $3,148,790 | 1,450 | $81,717,862 | 16 |
| 10 | (50 | Meet The Spartans (US) | $2,829,886 | 718 | $42,574,246 | 11 |
| 11 | (7) | Detective Conan: Full Score Of Fear (Jap) | $2,675,871 | 335 | $8,140,078 | 1 |
| 12 | (13 | Taken (Fr) | $2,544,212 | 428 | $19,826,739 | 4 |
| 13 | New | Tashan (Ind) | $2,463,554 | 344 | $2,463,554 | 15 |
| 14 | (6) | Welcome To The Sticks (Fr) | $2,438,012 | 941 | $192,060,602 | 4 |
| 15 | (8) | Nim's Island (US) | $2,215,748 | 1,124 | $15,369,728 | 12 |
| 16 | (12) | Superhero Movie (US) | $2,141,663 | 703 | $12,854,369 | 14 |
| 17 | (31) | 10,000 BC (US) | $2,130,716 | 1,472 | $165,370,492 | 44 |
| 18 | (42) | The Eye (US) | $2,002,454 | 852 | $19,784,082 | 22 |
| 19 | New | Deception (US) | $1,970,530 | 606 | $1,970,530 | 3 |
| 20 | (43) | 27 Dresses (US) | $1,871,496 | 581 | $74,233,318 | 9 |
| 21 | New | Shaolin Girl (Jap) | $1,841,624 | 312 | $1,841,624 | 1 |
| 22 | (21) | Untraceable (US) | $1,670,571 | 1,218 | $19,712,716 | 24 |
| 23 | (15) | Crayon Shinchan 16 (Jap) | $1,472,900 | 317 | $4,284,415 | 1 |
| 24 | (16) | Sommer (Ger) | $1,333,898 | 511 | $4,207,696 | 3 |
| 25 | * | [Rec] (Sp) | $1,300,546 | 222 | $16,022,917 | 4 |
| 26 | (30) | The Other Boleyn Girl (US-UK) | $1,270,950 | 703 | $36,926,129 | 20 |
| 27 | (17) | Shutter (US) | $1,195,948 | 871 | $12,159,726 | 14 |
| 28 | New | Sand Chronicles (Jap) | $1,175,318 | 244 | $1,175,318 | 1 |
| 29 | (14) | Three Kingdoms: Resurrection ... (HK-S Kor) | $1,145,114 | 576 | $22,139,590 | 7 |
| 30 | (11) | Disco (Fr) | $1,135,391 | 741 | $22,437,089 | 3 |
| 31 | (18) | The Game Plan (US) | $1,022,152 | 1,076 | $52,126,637 | 12 |
| 32 | (33) | Leatherheads (US) | $996,083 | 415 | $6,098,858 | 7 |
| 33 | (39) | The Bucket List (US) | $976,150 | 527 | $66,591,506 | 25 |
| 34 | New | See Prang (Thai) | $929,672 | 113 | $929,672 | 1 |
| 35 | (49) | Definitely, Maybe (US-UK) | $912,213 | 633 | $18,510,940 | 22 |
| 36 | (73) | Next (US) | $874,031 | 240 | $50,674,667 | 3 |
| 37 | (29) | In Bruges (UK) | $835,447 | 274 | $7,578,906 | 2 |
| 38 | (27) | The Kite Runner (US) | $827,186 | 632 | $55,170,479 | 21 |
| 39 | (38) | The Wave (Ger) | $777,778 | 513 | $21,221,904 | 2 |
| 40 | (24) | Jumper (US) | $776,995 | 1,046 | $139,422,564 | 14 |
| *Re-entry (c) Screen International, compiled by Leonard Klady | ||||||
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