In its sophomore outing, Warner Bros/DC’s The Batman kept a firm grip on the international box office, dropping just 42% to add $66.6M from 76 offshore markets. That brings the overseas cume through Sunday to $224.7M for $463.2M global. As the Robert Pattinson-starrer heads to $500M worldwide this week, in like-for-like markets and using today’s exchange rates, it’s currently tracking 132% ahead of pandemic comp Godzilla Vs Kong and is 44% above Wonder Woman, 36% ahead of The Dark Knight and 24% over Justice League.
Japan was a new market this session, opening to $3.2M on 358 screens and ranking No. 1. That’s on par with Black Widow and The Dark Knight Rises while 71% over The Dark Knight. In all, IMAX added $4.4M for a $14.2M offshore cume, $860K of which came from Japan where 39 IMAX screens made up a huge 27.5% of the national total. The global IMAX haul so far is $38.7M
The UK leads all markets with $35.2M, followed by Mexico ($20.2M), Australia ($16.7M), Brazil ($14.6M) and France ($13.6M). Holds have been very strong for the Caped Crusader with Saudi Arabia up 2%, Germany off by just 25%, and Australia, Korea and Brazil down 38%.
China is up next for the Matt Reeves-directed thriller, opening Friday March 18. However, a Covid spike there has forced the closure of 2,300 theaters in 65 cities including Shanghai and Shenzen which is likely to impact business perhaps by as much as 25%.
Sony’s Uncharted releases in China today and as of this evening local time is leading box office there with about $3M.
Uncharted hit a new milestone this weekend, crossing $300M global after an $11.2M session in 64 overseas markets. The offshore cume on the Tom Holland-starrer is $187.9M for $301.3M global. The drop from last weekend was a good 36% with the UK still in the lead. The cume there is $29.3M, followed by France ($16.5M), Russia ($15.9M), Spain ($11.4M) and Germany ($11M).
Universal/Illumination’s Sing franchise, meanwhile, crossed $1B worldwide on Saturday. Sing 2 added $3M from 67 markets across the frame to lift the international cume to $211.1M and global to $367M. Holds have been very strong with the UK now at $42M to lead all play. Japan is still to come on March 22.
Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red, which is releasing theatrically in markets where Disney+ does not operate, debuted to $3.8M in 12 markets this session. That includes Saudi Arabia at No. 2 with $920K for 46% ahead of Luca and 26% ahead of Encanto. Poland also put Turning Red in second place with $430K and a bow that’s 258% ahead of Luca and 66% ahead of Encanto. In the UAE, Turning Red was also No. 2 at $420K and ·36% over Encanto.
In other notable news, BTS Permission To Dance On Stage – Seoul: Live Viewing broke the event cinema record with a global weekend gross of $32.6M. Presented by Hybe and Trafalgar Releasing in 75 markets, this was a one-day limited engagement for the boy band movie.
UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Death On The Nile (DIS): $3M intl weekend (41 markets); $83.8M intl cume/$124.6M global
Spider-Man: No Way Home (SNY): $2.4M intl weekend (59 markets); $1.084B intl cume/$1.876B global
Belfast (UNI): $1.73M intl weekend (42 markets); $31.5M intl cume/$40.4M global
Jackass Forever (PAR): $1.8M intl weekend (22 markets); $19.2M intl cume/$75.5M global
Dog (UAR/VAR): $715K intl weekend (18 markets); $7.54M intl cume/$55.3M global
Clifford The Big Red Dog (PAR): $590K intl weekend (30 markets); $57.9M intl cume/$106.8M global
Gangubai Kathiawadi (PAR): $285K intl weekend (6 markets); $2.6M Par cume