International Box Office Editor/Senior Contributor
SATURDAY UPDATE: As we reported Friday, Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home is having a very Merry Christmas, as it’s poised to cross the $1B global mark with today’s grosses included (see previous update below). It will become the first movie of the pandemic to hit the milestone and tie with Avengers: Infinity War for the second-fastest ever to reach $1B (notably doing so without China). Including domestic’s Friday, and international Friday estimates, it is already past $900M global. We’ll have a full rundown on that tomorrow with all the updated action.
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In the meantime, we now have a full weekend forecast for Universal/Illumination’s Sing 2, which is looking at a $66.4M worldwide cume through Sunday.
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The sequel to the 2016 hit already was out in a handful of smaller markets and added 22 this weekend as it eyes a $20.8M international box office session from 38 total. That would mean an estimated $60.8M global frame, the second biggest of 2021 for an animated title. The offshore cume through Sunday is forecasted at $26.4M.
France leads Sing 2‘s openings this frame with an estimated $6.1M. Including strong previews, this will be the biggest animated launch of the pandemic in the market.
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Mexico is tuning up an estimated $3.6M weekend, also good for the biggest animated opening of the pandemic, and the third biggest all-time December debut for animation. Russia is on track for $2.7M; Spain‘s estimated weekend is $2.1M at No. 2 in the market, which would make it the top animated start of the pandemic; and Italy is expecting to open with $1.4M for the second-biggest animated pandemic launch. Covid infections hit a record high on Friday which is affecting the market.
More to come on Sunday.
PREVIOUS, FRIDAY UPDATE, writethru: Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home is poised for a very Merry Christmas as the webslinger is on track to surpass the $1 billion mark globally on Saturday. This would make it the first film of the pandemic era to hit the milestone, as well as the second-fastest title ever at 11 days (tying with Avengers: Infinity War). Avengers: Endgame is the record holder, having done it in five.
Today, the Jon Watts-directed No Way Home is on track to become the top-grossing film of 2021 worldwide, overtaking the two Chinese movies that have been leading the chart for some time.
At the international box office, No Way Home grossed $32.2M on Thursday, bringing its overseas cume to $490.2M and global to $876M going into Friday.
The Top 10 overseas markets through Thursday are the UK ($61.4M), Mexico ($46M), France ($31M), Korea ($29.9M), Brazil ($28.4M), Australia ($28.2M), India ($24.9M), Russia ($23.1M), Germany ($17.2M) and Italy ($17.1M)
Meanwhile, in other good news for Sony, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is headed past $500M worldwide today. The domestic gross is $212.5M, with overseas at $287.6M, bringing its worldwide cume to $500.1M. The film ranks No. 3 at the domestic box office for 2021 and No. 4 at the global box office for studio titles in 2021, trailing only No Time to Die, Spider-Man: No Way Home and F9.
Venom 2’s Top 10 markets are Russia ($32.4M), the UK ($24.7M), Mexico (24.6M), Korea ($17.9M), France ($15.9M), Japan ($13.1M), Germany ($12.5M), Brazil ($12.1M), Australia ($10.3M) and Spain ($10.4M).
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Elsewhere, Warner Bros’ The Matrix Resurrections took in another $6.1M on Thursday from 67 overseas markets currently in release, bringing the international running cume to $25.3M. With domestic, that brings it to $35.8M worldwide.
Germany debuted to $507K, ranking No. 2. The result is 4% ahead of the opening day of Black Widow, 8% above Blade Runner 2049 and 20% over Shang-Chi. The Middle East launched with $671K. There are seven smaller markets opening today, while Australia bows on Sunday.
The Top 5 markets so far are Japan ($5.7M), Russia ($4.9M), UK ($2.4M), France ($1.7M) and Thailand ($935K).
Universal/Illumination’s Sing 2 raised its overseas cume to $15.4M on Thursday, with strong openings and holdovers bolstered by word of mouth as it heads into the lucrative holiday family period. The global cume through Thursday is $32.6M.
France added another $1M on Thursday to reach $4.4M to date including previews. The Wednesday and Thursday total, excluding previews, is almost three times the same days for the 2016 first film. Sing 2 continues to hold the No. 2 spot behind No Way Home.
Russia reached a $725K cume on Thursday including previews, in line with the first film and at No. 3 behind Spider-Man and local title Last Warrior 3.
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Italy has Sing 2 on track to be the biggest animated opening of the pandemic, with $400K through Thursday. The day was slightly impacted by the government’s decision to mandate the FFP2 mask and ban the consumption of food and drink in cinemas.
Spain has cumed $700K while Belgium is at $500K, including previews, which is more than three times the first film. Cinemas are closing in the market from Sunday until mid-January.
We will continue to update throughout the weekend.
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PREVIOUS, THURSDAY: Spidey has done it again, logging yet another milestone as he swings past $800M global. Sony/Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home now has a worldwide total of $813.9 million through Wednesday, pushing it past No Time to Die and making it the No. 3 movie of the year, and the top Hollywood release.
At the international box office, No Way Home pulled $34.8M into its web Wednesday, down just 10% from Tuesday. The overseas cume is now $457.4M, still in sixth place overall for 2021.
The Top 10 markets through Wednesday are the UK ($57.1M), Mexico ($43.9M), France ($28.7M), Korea ($28.6M) Brazil ($26.6M), Australia ($26.3M), India ($23.5M), Russia ($22.2M), Italy ($16.1M) and Germany ($15.5M).
As Peter Parker swings into his second weekend, Warner Bros’ The Matrix Resurrections is expanding widely this frame. After opening in Russia, Japan, Thailand and four smaller markets with $9.1M last session, it debuted in 49 additional markets on Wednesday and generated $6.6M for a running offshore total of $18.9M.
The UK led all of Wednesday’s openers with $1.4M, ranking No. 2 and tracking above Dune and Ready Player One. Imax results were strong with 14% of the total share and coming in ahead of No Way Home for the day.
France grossed $1.2M at No. 3 and above Ready Player One, Venom 2 and Blade Runner 2049. Mexico swallowed $514K, performing well versus pandemic comps Tenet (+124%), No Time to Die (+68%), Dune (+65%) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (+45%).
Elsewhere, Spain ($395K) and Brazil ($368K) each ranked No. 2, and Korea was good for $315K at No. 3. In Japan, Resurrections has now grossed $5.3M and continues as the top film there.
In total, Resurrections launches in 68 markets through Friday. Opening today there are 18 markets including Germany, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Also expanding this session, Universal/Illumination’s Sing 2 has an international cume of $12.6M to date including holdovers and new openings through Wednesday.
Sing 2 bowed in France yesterday at No. 2. In previews, it grossed $2.1M — the biggest for an animated title ever in the market — and added $1.3M on Wednesday, taking its cume there to $3.4M. It had the biggest animated opening day of the pandemic and the best all-time December animated opening day. Including previews, the launch day is the best for an animated film since Incredibles 2 in July 2018, and the second biggest Illumination opening day after Minions.
Mexico had a final day of previews on Wednesday with $700K at No. 2 in the market, bringing the cume to $1.1M so far. The Wednesday result is 12% above the same day of previews for Sing and delivered the best opening day for an animated movie during the pandemic.
Belgium, which is entering lockdown beginning Sunday, saw Sing 2 get folks out to the cinemas on Wednesday with $100K. Including previews, this is the biggest animated opening day in 2021 and more than double the first film.
Sweden had an excellent opening preview day with $114K, the best start for a family film in 2021. Tougher Covid restrictions will be implemented from today.
We will have more updates throughout the weekend.
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