Refresh for latest…: Fox/Chernin Entertainment’s Ford V Ferrari raced its way to a $21.4M start at the international box office this weekend. The Disney release went out in 41 material markets and came in slightly above pre-frame projections. This is a solid start that combines with domestic’s high-octane debut to make for a $52.4M global bow.
There is more play to come on the James Mangold-directed drama that is expected to have strong legs in what’s seen as a marathon, and not a sprint. The awards season contender is generating positive critical and social sentiment and was No. 1 in such markets as Italy, Mexico, Australia and Russia. Still to bow are Korea, Japan and China (the latter not yet dated) along with a handful of others.
Overall in like-for-like hubs, FVF came in 73% ahead of Rush, 33% above Bridge Of Spies and 8% ahead of Sully.
Disney’s President of theatrical distribution, Cathleen Taff, tells Deadline of the inherited Fox title, “We’ve always loved this film and are thrilled to see that it’s breaking out. We knew it was going to be something special and the thing we’re most thrilled about is that audiences all over are reacting positively. It proves there’s an appetite for these kind of films on the big screen.”
Ahead of the weekend, we noted that FVF would play best in Europe, which proved to be the case, while Taff says things are “so far so good” in South East Asia where the Christian Bale/Matt Damon-starrer is coming in above expectations. Korea in December, and Japan in January will be markets to watch.
In IMAX, FVF grossed. $5.5M globally.
The other newcomer overseas was Sony’s franchise reboot of Charlie’s Angels, which landed with $19.3M, slightly below what we were hearing was expected ahead of the weekend. The global debut is $27.9M. It’s tracking 4% over Pitch Perfect 3 and 45% ahead of Atomic Blonde, though the girls have Anna and Elsa in their path next weekend and will sit out releasing any new hubs.
The Elizabeth Banks-helmed pic, hardly blessed domestically, took No. 1 positions in its South East Asian and Middle East openings, but was not embraced in China where the launch session is just $7.7M with a 6.1 Douban and an 8 Maoyan score. Local pic Somewhere Winter was the top movie in a tepid Middle Kingdom that also saw a strong showing for Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1998 The Legend Of 1900.
We are still waiting on updated figures for Joker which became the first R-rated movie to cross $1B worldwide on Friday.
In general offshore, it was another sleepy session before Frozen 2 ices everything around it next weekend.
Breakdowns on the films above and more are being updated below.
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