Around-the-World Roundup: 'Smurfs' Passes $500 Million Worldwide
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September 27, 2011
The Smurfs led for the seventh-straight frame on one of the slowest foreign weekends in recent memory. The movie added $12.9 million from 69 markets, around half of which came from phenomenal holds in Italy (down 6 percent to $3.8 million) and Australia (off 3 percent to $2.57 million). That brings its foreign total to $364.4 million, and on Sunday it eclipsed $500 million worldwide (domestic plus foreign). That makes
The Smurfs the first non-sequel in 2011 to reach the half-billion-dollar milestone.
Friends with Benefits held steady with $9.6 million from 45 markets for a total of $55.5 million. It opened in first place in Spain with $1.98 million, and was down just 35 percent to $1.2 million in Germany. On a worldwide basis, the
Justin Timberlake-
Mila Kunis romantic comedy has so far earned over $111 million.
Johnny English Reborn added a few smaller territories and was off 33 percent to $8.1 million. The spoof sequel grossed $1.96 million in Australia and $1.13 million in Russia, and its early foreign total reached $24.3 million. The movie expands in to Spain, Hong Kong and Norway next weekend before reaching Rowan Atkinson's native United Kingdom on Oct. 7.
Abduction opened to an estimated $6.9 million in 28 territories this weekend, with top debuts coming in Brazil ($1.5 million), Australia ($1.3 million) and Russia ($1.2 million).
Final Destination 5 continued its strong foreign run with $6.7 million from 53 markets. It opened to $1.5 million in Brazil and $768,000 in Mexico, both of which were improvements over
The Final Destination. The movie's overseas total is now at $98.6 million, and it should be able to come close to matching its predecessor's $119.7 million foreign figure.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes eased 29 percent to $6.2 million for a total of $229.4 million. The prequel has now made over $400 million worldwide.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. had its best foreign weekend yet, earning $6.15 million for a total of $35.4 million. It debuted in second place in the U.K. with $1.3 million, and it's scheduled to expand in to Australia next weekend.
Killer Elite opened to approximately $4.6 million from six territories. That includes a solid $2.66 million start in Russia and an unimpressive $750,000 debut in the U.K.
Although the marketing looks like Transformers 4, Real Steel is the real deal, a Rocky with robots that ought to have audiences standing up and cheering. The crux of this slightly sci-fi story set in a world where human boxing is outlawed is that 11-year-old Max (Dakota Goyo) is forced to bond with his estranged father Charlie (Hugh Jackman), an impulsive, bad luck former heavyweight contender, when they back a down-and-out robot for one more round in the ring. 
My Week With Marilyn is a minimally thought-through Oscar nomination campaign for Michelle Williams' showy and impressive performance/impersonation of Marilyn Monroe, the core of a film that barely exists. Based on two memoirs by Colin Clark about the tortured production of the 1957 Laurence Olivier-directed comedy The Prince and the Showgirl, this might more accurately be titled My Week Of Seriously
