Despite two major studio movies hitting theatres last weekend, this session was a mixed bag of results for Hollywood holdovers. The Flash, which had initially underperformed with respect to projections, added $26.6 million in 78 offshore markets this weekend, dropping by 59%. The Warner Bros/DC deep universe title now has an international running cume of $123.3 million, with $211 million worldwide. The top five markets for The Flash are China ($23.6 million), Mexico ($14.4 million), UK ($8.5 million), Brazil ($5.4 million) and Korea ($4.7 million).
In contrast, Disney/Pixar’s Elemental had better holds in its second frame, sliding by just 18% (-7% when excluding China). The movie’s score in Korea is particularly notable, with a strong social media presence and an 18% increase in sales this weekend. Elemental became the first movie to overtake local juggernaut The Roundup: No Way Out at No. 1, as well as leading over new entry Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In Korea, Elemental had the third-highest sophomore weekend for Pixar titles after Inside Out and Toy Story 4, as well as 40% above Zootopia. Word of mouth indicates that females are driving the popularity of this movie in Korea.
Regarding the full sophomore overseas session for Elemental, it was $31.3 million in 40 material markets, bringing the offshore total to $55.6 million and global to $121.1 million. New additions this weekend included such majors as France, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Mexico, where it received No. 1 starts, as well as in all the other remaining Latin American markets except Peru, where it came in at No. 2. No. 1 bows were also seen in Thailand and Vietnam. China, which is just not firing for this film, nevertheless leads offshore play at $11.1 million, followed closely by Korea at $9.6 million, Mexico ($4.6 million), Argentina ((3.1 million) and France ($2.7 million). There are holidays ahead and more markets to come, including the UK, Spain and Japan.
No Hard Feelings and Rise of the Beasts
Sony’s Jennifer Lawrence-starrer, No Hard Feelings, turned on in 48 offshore markets with $9.5 million to track 33% ahead of Good Boys and 17% higher than Cocaine Bear for the same suite at current exchange rates. Results were highest in the UK ($1.5 million), Australia ($1.3 million) and Germany ($1.1 million) as is typically the case with U.S. comedies.
Paramount/Skydance’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in its third weekend, managed to optimize another $25.6 million from 69 overseas markets. That puts the total offshore at $218.3 million and global at $341.3 million. Australia had a powerful $2.9 million start at No. 1 with $2.9 million this session. Japan is still to come in early August. For the moment, China leads all play at $78.1 million, followed by Mexico ($15.8 million), Peru with $11 million, Indonesia at $9.8 million and the UK at $8 million.
Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse had already topped $500 million globally through Tuesday. With this weekend, the worldwide tally is now $560.3 million. Of that, international reps $243.2 million. The overseas take this weekend was $22 million from 63 markets. The holdovers dipped by 37%. Korea’s $3 million debut was 9% ahead of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, and Taiwan opened to $1.5 million, besting the opening of the prior installment by 159%. The top five markets to date for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are China ($46.2 million), UK ($29.5 million), Mexico ($25.7 million), Australia ($16.5 million) and Brazil ($11.2 million).
Finally, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is warbling its way to $500 million global, coming off a $9.4 million offshore weekend in 52 markets for a $229.1 million overseas running cume, and thisclose to the half-century mark worldwide with $499.3 million through Sunday. The offshore hold this weekend was -41%. It was also the No. 1 movie in Japan for the third consecutive weekend and is the biggest movie of 2023 in the Philippines.