Avatar: Fire and Ash Surpasses $1.3B, Paul Feig’s Housemaid Second Top Grosser, 28 Years Later: Bone Temple Opens Strong Globally

Updating…The MLK weekend box office may have been quiet in the U.S., but overseas, Disney kept dominating with record-breaking achievements,Zootopia 2, as we just informed you, becoming the top-grossing MPA animated film ever with$1.7billion, but also James Cameron’sAvatar: Fire and Ash rising to $1.3B. Among the two images, Disney has maintained the No. 1 position at the global box office for the past eight weekends.

Sony became largely global in its debut on28 Years Later: The Temple of Bones, which is soft domestically with $13M for the 3-day and $15M for the 4-day, but can celebrate No. 1 openings in the UK with $4.6M and Mexico with $1.5M. The global weekend, with the domestic $15M 4-day, totals$31.2M(a fourth position achieved among the leading studios globally) with$16.2Moverseas, originating from more than 10,100 screens across 61 markets.28 Years Later opened at No. 1 in the UK with $6.4M in mid-June, while it ranked No. 2 in Mexico with $2.7M ($3.3M including previews). Horror varies significantly across different regions depending on its subgenre; for example, gore is effective in Germany but generally less so in Latin America (with the exception of Mexico). Supernatural horror tends to resonate more in Catholic countries, the Philippines, and Asia. The last28 Years earned $80.8 million overseas – $21 million of that in the UK – not adjusted for inflation, for a total worldwide revenue of$151.3M. Next market for Bone Temple is South Korea.

Although the production cost is reported to be $63M net due to UK tax credits (with TSG covering half the film’s budget), and an additional $70M for marketing, the question remains if this sequel will be profitable. I’m told that director Danny Boyle, writer Alex Garland, and producer Peter Rice each receive approximately $15M per film. According to sources, these movies could have been produced for much more, but unfortunately, the financial issues caused by bidding wars. As we mentioned earlier, the film received a strong Cinemascore in the U.S. of A- onBone Temple, but it’s extremely challenging to return and gain an audience after the previous film was received somewhat favorably. Maybe it would have been better to release this movie much later to allow for more time.28 Years Later some momentum on streaming.

Top studio worldwide rankings (list will be updated as regional films come in):

As we mentioned earlier, it’s the top performer for the fifth consecutive weekend. Internationally, there was a -33% drop in box office revenue, with declines in Germany (-14%), Spain (-17%), France (-28%), Australia (-33%), China (-33%), Brazil (-35%), UK (-36%), Korea (-43%), Mexico (-44%), Italy (-47%), and Japan (-47%). China leads with $155.4 million in total earnings, followed by France at $98.9 million, Germany at $80.3 million, UK at $51.4 million, and Korea at $51.1 million. The film ranked third in China.Zootopia 2 which governed and local Sam Quah crime filmThe Fire Raven (which has a cumulative total of $52.3 million).

2.Housemaid71 terr, Dom $10.1 million, Int’l $26.6 millionWW$36.7MDomestic total $108.7M, International total $138.6MWW Cume 247.3M

As we mentioned in the domestic section, the film is now Paul Feig’s second most successful movie to date.Bridesmaids ($324.8 million without adjusting for inflation, etc.). The UK saw a drop of -17% with approximately $3.9 million, bringing the total to $30.4 million through Lionsgate UK. The darkly comedic thriller also topped the charts in Brazil via IDC.

3. Zootopia 2 52 terr, Dom $12 million Intl $24.3 millionWW $36.3MDom Cume $393.2M International Cume $1.313B WWCume $1.7B

Still Not Number One in China and Japan. International weekend saw a -24% decline, with the strongest performances in New Zealand (+41%), Czech Republic (+13%), Sweden (+11%), Hungary (+7%), Norway (+3%), Spain (+2%), Austria (-0%), Denmark (-8%), Portugal (-8%), Germany (-10%), Finland (-10%), Taiwan (-15%), France (-16%), Poland (-17%), Brazil (-17%), Netherlands (-18%), Turkey (-19%), and the UK (-20%).

4. 28 Years Later: The Temple of BonesDom $15M, Int’l $16.2M, WW $31.2M

Misc:

Anaconda63 terr, Dom $3.8 million Int’l $4 millionWW $7.8MHouse of the Dragon earned $59.6 million in domestic sales and $62.3 million internationally.WW Cume $122M

A reasonably full audience at the AMC Grove 7:30 PM screening last night, with considerable movement throughout the multiplex on what is typically a quieter holiday weekend. Leading markets continue to be Australia ($9.7 million), UK ($7.1 million), Mexico ($5.0 million), Germany ($3.6 million), and Brazil ($3.5 million).

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