A slew of Japanese films made a powerful dent in the international top 40 this weekend, collectively taking more than $13m and accounting for 8.9% of the chart's total revenue.
Ensemble drama Always - Sunset On Third Street 2 was the highest new entry over the weekend, taking $4.7m from 330 screens in Japan. The sequel, directed by original director Takashi Yamazaki and based on a comic by Ryohei Saigan, boasted the highest screen average at the weekend at $14,450 per screen. It is released through Toho and was the only new release to make the top 10 this weekend.
Toho had another hit with new entrant Sky Of Love (KoiZora), which came in at number 13 this weekend. The romantic drama, directed by Natsuki Imai, generated $4.1m from 287 screens in its home territory with a $14,430 screen average, the second highest of the weekend.
Crows: Episode 0, also distributed through Toho, fell 26% to number 23 over the weekend. The action film, directed by Takashi Miike, grossed more than $2.5m from 259 screens in its second weekend. It has generated $9.1m to date and has only been released in Japan.
Toho's fourth offering this weekend - Hero - climbed back into the chart to number 34 with a $1.5m take across 593 screens for a $2,560 screen average. The film, based on the popular Fuji TV series, was up 43% after opening across 271 screens in South Korea where it took $792,857 at the weekend. The film has a $69.7m tally to date.
Rise of the Russian
Russian historical film 1612 opened in the top 20 this weekend with a $3.3m take across three territories. The film, released through Central Partnership, focuses on the Polish-Muscovite war and was released at the weekend to coincide with Russia's National Unity Day. It played across 515 screens for a sizable $6,414 screen average. And Central Partnership had another film in the chart with Shadow Boxing 2. The fighting drama fell 54% and barely made the top 40 with a $1.3m take from 411 screens. It has a $12.4m tally after three weekends on release.
Germany's animated adventure Lissi Und Der Wilde Kaiser fell marginally by 18% to number seven in its second weekend. Constantin's family film, directed by Michael Herbig, generated $5.6m from 904 screens for a $6,249 screen average. It has grossed $15.3m to date.
And Ang Lee's Lust, Caution re-entered the chart thanks to a record-breaking opening weekend in China. The romantic thriller was up a whopping 412%, taking $4.4m from 542 screens for an $8,123 screen average. It is released through Focus Features and boasts a $19.6m international total after six weekends on release.
Le Grand Chef, the newest offering from South Korea, made the top 20 at the weekend with a $3.3m take from 434 screens in its home territory. It is released through CJ Entertainment and is about a cooking contest between two grandsons of rival chefs. The film opened at number one in South Korea over the weekend and has generated $3.8m to date.
CJ Entertainment's bank robbery comedy Going By The Book fell 35% to number 28. The film grossed nearly $2m in its third weekend and has generated more than $11.7m since its release.
Spanish horror film The Orphanage dropped by 19% but still remained within the top 20. It grossed $3.2m across 374 screens in its home territory and has held onto the top slot in the territory for four consecutive weekends. It is released through Wild Bunch and has generated more than $26m to date.
Bee Movie flying high
France had a new offering this weekend with L'Heure Zero. The murder mystery, directed by Pascal Thomas (Le Grand Appartement) and based on Agatha Christie's novel Towards Zero, took $1.5m over the weekend across 242 screens. It is distributed by Studio Canal. Meanwhile, French romantic comedy Le Coeur Des Hommes 2, from Pathe Distribution, fell 13% in its second weekend with a $3.1m take across 536 screens. It has generated $7.8m after two weekends on release.
Mexican animation La Leyenda De La Nahuala came in at number 36 this weekend with a $1.5m take. The film is distributed through Artecinema.
Elsewhere, Paramount Pictures International/UIP's Bee Movie was the highest US entry this weekend, enjoying a $3.5m take across 492 screens. And Sony Pictures Releasing International/Dark Horse's 30 Days Of Night made the top 15 with a $3.4m take - $3.1m of which was taken in its opening weekend in the UK. Disney/Pixar animation Ratatouille stayed at number one with a $15.6m take.
The top 40 international films generated $151.4m from 38,114 screens for the period November 2-4.
| Analysis: International box-office Weekend November 2-4 (Last3-dayweek) | ||||||
| Film (origin) | gross $ | Scrs | Cume $ | Terr | ||
| 1 | (1) | Ratatouille (US) | $15,654,652 | 4195 | $375,077,364 | 30 |
| 2 | (7) | Resident Evil: Extinction (Aus-Ger-UK-US) | $10,797,612 | 2256 | $68,978,365 | 39 |
| 3 | (3) | Stardust (UK-US) | $8,472,731 | 2626 | $74,816,629 | 46 |
| 4 | (21) | The Heartbreak Kid (US) | $7,875,827 | 1509 | $30,647,045 | 19 |
| 5 | (2) | Saw IV (US) | $7,464,663 | 1839 | $26,037,903 | 23 |
| 6 | (5) | Surf's Up (US) | $5,844,999 | 1996 | $72,337,572 | 32 |
| 7 | (4) | Lissi Und Der Wilde Kaiser (Ger) | $5,648,825 | 904 | $15,387,309 | 3 |
| 8 | (23) | The Kingdom (US) | $5,000,673 | 1762 | $25,100,746 | 31 |
| 9 | (24) | Elizabeth: The Golden Age (US-UK-Fr) | $4,777,553 | 793 | $7,872,302 | 5 |
| 10 | New | Always - Sunset On Third Street 2 (Jap) | $4,768,467 | 330 | $4,768,467 | 1 |
| 11 | (50) | Lust, Caution (Chi-US-Tai-HK) | $4,402,464 | 542 | $19,625,758 | 10 |
| 12 | (39) | The Bourne Ultimatum (US) | $4,214,529 | 996 | $189,989,118 | 30 |
| 13 | New | Sky Of Love (Jap) | $4,141,388 | 287 | $4,141,388 | 1 |
| 14 | New | Bee Movie (US) | $3,485,993 | 492 | $3,485,993 | 2 |
| 15 | New | 30 Days Of Night (US) | $3,413,206 | 477 | $3,848,248 | 5 |
| 16 | (14) | Superbad (US) | $3,402,460 | 1433 | $40,249,549 | 36 |
| 17 | New | 1612 (Rus) | $3,303,487 | 515 | $3,303,487 | 3 |
| 18 | New | Le Grand Chef (S Kor) | $3,304,781 | 434 | $3,798,625 | 1 |
| 19 | (10) | The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (US) | $3,268,998 | 1777 | $15,512,659 | 29 |
| 20 | (6) | The Orphanage (Sp) | $3,255,708 | 374 | $26,682,339 | 1 |
| 21 | (8) | Le Coeur Des Hommes 2 (Fr) | $3,141,731 | 536 | $7,843,560 | 2 |
| 22 | (49) | The Game Plan (US) | $2,714,649 | 908 | $8,312,298 | 4 |
| 23 | (9) | Crows: Episode 0 (Jap) | $2,554,266 | 259 | $9,103,679 | 1 |
| 24 | (40) | 1408 (US) | $2,538,439 | 732 | $30,581,155 | 15 |
| 25 | (26) | Death At A Funeral (Ger-UK-US) | $2,422,823 | 694 | $18,782,445 | 11 |
| 26 | (13) | Rush Hour 3 (US) | $2,328,743 | 1105 | $111,558,599 | 27 |
| 27 | (28) | Jab We Met (Ind) | $2,177,888 | 566 | $6,295,513 | 17 |
| 28 | (11) | Going By The Book (S Kor) | $1,968,542 | 301 | $11,734,090 | 1 |
| 29 | (18) | Halloween (US) | $1,966,509 | 997 | $9,908,071 | 20 |
| 30 | (51) | Cassandra's Dreams (US-UK) | $1,932,752 | 360 | $3,326,152 | 3 |
| 31 | (34) | Knocked Up (US) | $1,781,390 | 766 | $68,818,568 | 29 |
| 32 | (15) | Michael Clayton (US) | $1,744,986 | 650 | $19,435,096 | 15 |
| 33 | (30) | Earth (UK-Ger) | $1,664,925 | 638 | $8,974,239 | 5 |
| 34 | (45) | Hero (Jap) | $1,518,280 | 593 | $69,671,205 | 3 |
| 35 | New | L'Heure Zero (Fr) | $1,512,047 | 242 | $1,512,047 | 1 |
| 36 | New | La Leyenda De La Nahuala (Mex) | $1,479,685 | 317 | $1,479,685 | 1 |
| 37 | (17) | Eastern Promises (Can-UK-US) | $1,412,408 | 445 | $10,957,798 | 9 |
| 38 | (16) | The Invasion (US) | $1,403,608 | 989 | $19,787,814 | 24 |
| 39 | (12) | Shadow Boxing 2 (Rus) | $1,337,257 | 411 | $12,426,015 | 3 |
| 40 | (20) | The Brave One (US) | $1,309,633 | 1068 | $31,104,969 | 33 |
| *re-entry. For updated chart go to ScreenDaily.com. (c) Screen International, compiled by Leonard Klady | ||||||
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