UPDATE, writethru: Horror ruled at the global and international box office again this session with Universal/Blumhouse’s Halloween Ends bowing to $17.2M in 77 overseas markets for a $58.4M worldwide launch. Last week’s champ, Paramount’s Smile, put in another scary strong performance, dropping just 16% with $16.3M in 61 markets, to beam at a running offshore total of $66.4M and $137.6M global. The latter had crossed $100M worldwide on Tuesday.
Halloween Ends went day-and-date on Peacock domestically, where Anthony notes that left money on the table. Overseas, it’s a different story. In like-for-like markets, the debut is 46% ahead of last year’s Halloween Kills. Whenever a movie is simultaneously released to a streaming platform, piracy will ultimately be a factor offshore, but we are hearing the weekend’s result on the subset trilogy finale is better than expected. It also kicked off 20% bigger than Smile did in like-for-likes, though the latter is seeing incredible legs and ranked ahead of Halloween Ends in 22 markets this session. Horror fans are likely to see both films, but it’s unlikely the astonishing holds on Smile will be matched. (Breakdowns to follow below.)
While we wait for Warner Bros/DC’s Black Adam next weekend – the first tentpole after a long dry spell – other notable performances this session include Universal/Working Title’s Ticket to Paradise which added $7.8M in 76 offshore markets for a slight 28% dip. The overseas cume is $72.5M, above The Lost City, House of Gucci, Last Christmas, Yesterday and Crazy Rich Asians at the same point in release. The Julia Roberts/George Clooney romcom will serve as counter programming when it opens domestically next session.
And let’s give a shoutout to Warner’s DC League of Super-Pets which crossed $200M globally this frame, now at $201.7M which includes $108.6M from international markets. It’s led by the UK ($18.7M), Australia ($11.3M), France ($8M), Mexico ($7.7M) and Germany ($5.2M).
Also reaching a benchmark during the week, Neon and Universal Pictures International’s Moonage Daydream topped $10M globally to become the biggest studio documentary of the pandemic with $10.7M so far.
In local-language titles, China’s Home Coming added about $12M this session to cume RMB 1.31B ($183M) after three frames. The National Day entries have been lackluster compared to previous years. Today marked the start of the National Party Congress.
Meanwhile, India’s historical epic Ponniyin Selvan: Part I has now reached an estimated $56M globally (including $36.5M locally) to claim the second biggest gross for a Kollywood film at home, internationally and worldwide, according to local reports.
Also in India, action/adventure pic Kantara is seeing a surge. The film from and starring Rishab Shetty has seen increases throughout its three frames thanks to word of mouth and other local-language versions being released this weekend. It is expected to soon cross 100 crore ($12.2M) at home.
NEW
HALLOWEEN ENDS
This David Gordon Green-directed trilogy-ender was tops overseas and globally in its debut, with a solid $17.2M start in 77 offshore markets and $58.4M worldwide. Horror-leaning Mexico was the best launch at $2.6M, double Halloween Kills and above Smile. This is the No.3 biggest horror opening weekend of the pandemic, behind Conjuring 3 and The Black Phone.
In the UK, the No. 2 bow was worth $2.4M, just behind Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (which includes $1.1M in previews). This is only the third horror pic since cinemas returned in May 2021 to open with over £2M and is the widest release of the trilogy in the market, opening across 575 locations and 750 screens.
Germany started on Thursday with the biggest pandemic horror opening day. The cume through Sunday reached $1.6M at No.4, above Halloween Kills. France debuted to $1.3M at No.5 in the market (behind 3 local titles and just off Smile), performing above Halloween Kills and in line with Smile. Australia opened to $1M at No.1 in the market, in line with Halloween Kills and above Smile.
Italy scored the No. 2 best opening horror day of the pandemic on Thursday and ultimately grossed $700K at No.2, falling behind local opener Il Colibri. The weekend, excluding previews, is above Halloween Kills and almost double Smile.
In Brazil, HE opened with $900K at No.1, performing above Halloween Kills and in line with Smile. The launch was the best horror opening weekend of the pandemic for an 18+ rated film and the No.4 opening weekend of all time for an 18+ rated title (behind The Predator, Rambo: Last Blood and The Hateful Eight).
Other notable markets include Sweden which enjoyed the biggest pandemic horror opening weekend and the biggest IMAX horror opening weekend since It Chapter 2 in 2019. The weekend cume of $256K is in line with Halloween Kills and above Smile. Finland saw the biggest pandemic horror opening weekend and biggest Blumhouse opening weekend of all time with a weekend gross of $200K.
In IMAX, global was $5M with $800K from overseas.
HOLDOVERS
SMILE
This scary strong horror entry had another amazing hold, down just 16% from its sophomore session and adding $16.3M in 61 markets. The offshore cume is now $66.4M for $137.6M worldwide.
In key results, Germany increased again, this time up 24%, for a $6.6M running cume. The UK saw a slight 14% dip for an $8.1M total to date. Mexico dropped just 25% for $6.1M so far, France was also down 25%, and has grossed $4.8M through Sunday. Spain was off by 29% for a $3.5M total to date and Australia was off 18% for $3.4M.
There were further increases in Norway (+25%/$1.3M cume), Netherlands (+7%/$1.3M), Switzerland (+19%/$1.2M) and Austria (+40%/$1.1M).
MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
The Woman King (SNY): $4.1M intl weekend (39 markets); $16.8M intl cume/$76.5M global
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile (SNY): $3.6M intl weekend (4 markets); $3.9M intl cume/$26.4M global
Don’t Worry Darling (WB): $3M intl weekend (66 markets); $35.8M intl cume/$778.2M global
*Simone (WB): $2.6M intl cume (France only)
Amsterdam (DIS): $1.9M intl weekend (34 markets); $6.5M intl cume/$18.5M global
Tad the Lost Explorer and the Emerald Tablet (PAR): $1.8M intl weekend (32 markets); $27.3M intl cume
DC League of Super-Pets (WB): $1.5M intl weekend (69 markets); $108.6M intl cume/$201.7M global
Minions: The Rise of Gru (UNI): $1.5M intl weekend (84 markets); $562.3M intl cume/$930.7M global
Top Gun: Maverick (PAR):$1.1M intl weekend (38 markets); $766.9M intl cume/$1.48B global
Where the Crawdads Sing (SNY): $1.1M intl weekend (34 markets); $46.7M intl cume/$137M global
*Karada Sagashi (WB): $1.4M intl weekend (Japan only)
*Mimi Wo Sumaseba (SNY): $1M (Japan only)
Moonage Daydream (UNI): $304K intl weekend (39 markets); $6.6M intl cume/$10.7M global
*Denotes new