Refresh for latest…: In its sophomore frame, Fox/New Regency’s Ad Astra again led the international box office, landing another $18M from 50 material markets. The overseas cume is $53.5M for $89M worldwide. The Brad Pitt-starrer is now out in all markets handled by Disney which is not across China, Taiwan or Hong Kong. Bona Film Group covered 30% of the bill on the expensive space pic which is expected to see a Middle Kingdom release.
New hubs on the James Gray-directed sci-fi thinker this weekend included Russia at No. 1 with $3.1M (54% ahead of Arrival and 425% ahead of First Man); Brazil at No. 2 with $900K (37% ahead of First Man and 44% ahead of Arrival); and Italy with a $1M No. 2 launch — the film premiered in Venice last month.
Holds were good in Europe which dropped 40% regionally. The pricey pic has been expected to play akin to the thrifty Arrival ($103M offshore finish), and could get there when China is added. As noted last weekend, finance sources say if Ad Astra ends up in the $150M worldwide range, it will end up losing $30M or so in two years after all markets play out.
This was a quiet weekend overseas, about 13% off the similar frame last year for the Top 5 movies, and as we wait to see what Joker brings to the mix next session.
Coming in behind Ad Astra, holdover IT Chapter Two clowned around for another $11M in 78 overseas markets to see a 48% drop. The offshore total is now $223.5M for $417.4M global.
From Universal, Focus/Carnival’s Downton Abbey topped the $100M global mark, aided by a further $10M in what-is-a-weekend sales. The offshore total is $48.6M from 36 markets. The UK held No. 1 for the third frame in a row and has now cumed $23.4M.
Also from Universal and after starting a soft rollout in just three offshore markets last session, DreamWorks Animation/Pearl Studios’ domestic champ Abominable added 27 hubs and $8.8M internationally. The Jill Culton-directed animation is now at $10.2M overseas and $31M worldwide with many key majors to come. Family-leaning markets Mexico ($1.98M/905 sites) and Brazil ($1.45M/575), notably, were both No. 1 starts. In like-for-likes, the pic is tracking in line with Home and Smallfoot, and 13% above Storks.
And, Sony/Bona’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood added $7M in 62 markets on a weekend that included a Quentin Tarantino record launch in Korea with $1.4M to best Django Unchained. The offshore total is $218.4M for $357M global.
Breakdowns on the films above and more are being updated below.
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