The international box office has been buzzing with activity this weekend, with several noteworthy films making waves. Warner Bros/New Line’s The Nun II has had a stellar start, surpassing expectations with its worldwide launch. On the other hand, Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan continues to outdo himself with his latest film, Jawan. Additionally, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is approaching a significant milestone. Let’s delve into the details of these films’ performances and achievements.
The Nun II Exceeds Expectations
Warner Bros/New Line’s The Nun II has begun its box office journey with a flying start. The film amassed an impressive $85.3 million worldwide in its opening weekend, outperforming initial projections. Of this total, $52.7 million is from the international box office across 69 markets. The sequel’s overseas debut marks the second-largest opening for the Conjuring Universe, narrowly trailing behind The Nun’s performance in comparable markets and accounting for currency exchange rates. Furthermore, The Nun II’s opening weekend figures surpass those of M3GAN by 195% and Evil Dead Rise by 200%.
Regional Success and Strong Performances
Horror-leaning Latin America emerged as the leading region for The Nun II, commanding a 68% share and securing the top spot in all markets. The film’s performance is relatively on par with Annabelle: Creation, surpassing Insidious: The Red Door by 87% and Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It by 106%. Southern Europe also delivered strong results for the horror flick.
A standout market for The Nun II is Mexico, where the film earned $8.9 million, marking the highest opening for a horror film post-pandemic. In Indonesia, the sequel achieved a No. 1 start with $4.4 million, capturing 91% of the Hollywood market share, and becoming the third-largest opening for a Conjuring Universe title in the country. Brazil also welcomed The Nun II with enthusiasm, generating a box office of $4.4 million, dominating 60% of the Top 5 films for the weekend, and ranking as the second-best Conjuring start. Italy experienced a significant surge in box office numbers, grossing $3.3 million and securing the best launch for the franchise, outpacing The Nun’s performance by 22%. Spain also contributed to the film’s success, granting The Nun II a clear No. 1 spot and grossing $2.3 million, surpassing all other comparable films.
In the realm of IMAX, The Nun II registered a global weekend gross of $4 million, further solidifying its triumph.
Jawan Sets New Records for Shah Rukh Khan
While The Nun II made waves internationally, Shah Rukh Khan’s latest outing, Jawan, has been making headlines in the Indian film industry. The action thriller has shattered records right from its release on Thursday. Industry sources estimate that Jawan has achieved an impressive global cumulative box office of 535 crore ($64.4 million) to date, making it the biggest four-day global debut ever for a Hindi movie. Additionally, it has become the highest-ever launch for a Bollywood film in India, earning an estimated 350 crore ($42 million), surpassing Khan’s own Pathaan, which held the record since its release in January. What makes Jawan’s performance even more remarkable is its completion of these achievements in just four days, while Pathaan took five days to reach its previous record. However, it is crucial to note that tracking figures in the complex Indian market may necessitate further updates.
Jawan, produced by Red Chillies Entertainment, also propelled IMAX to achieve its second-best global opening weekend for an Indian title, raking in $2.4 million. In India, the film earned a remarkable $820,000 from a limited release of 26 screens, securing IMAX’s second-best launch weekend for an Indian film and the fifth-best for any movie.
Approaching Milestone: Oppenheimer’s Success
Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is on the verge of reaching a significant achievement at the box office. The Universal production is set to attain the $900 million milestone globally in the coming week. As of Sunday, the film had amassed $891 million worldwide, with $576 million contributed by the international box office. In its eighth weekend, Oppenheimer garnered an additional $19.5 million (-51%) across 83 markets, continuing its successful run.
Excluding China, Oppenheimer’s international earnings have surpassed the performances of The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, while also doubling the box office figures of Dunkirk, Interstellar, and Tenet in the same markets at a comparable stage.
China’s second weekend for Oppenheimer added $9.6 million, bringing the total box office to $46.8 million after just 12 days of release. This surpasses the lifetime earnings of The Dark Knight Rises and Dunkirk in the Chinese market. The film experienced a 55% drop in box office revenue from its strong opening, which is a more favorable trend compared to Dunkirk, Tenet, and recent Hollywood releases. On Saturday, Oppenheimer ranked second at the Chinese box office, with only Dust to Dust surpassing it in daily earnings.
The United Kingdom ($72 million), Germany ($46.9 million), China ($46.8 million), France ($40.1 million), and Australia ($26 million) are the top-performing markets for Oppenheimer to date. Notably, the film has also fared exceptionally well in IMAX screenings, accumulating a global total of $176 million.
The Equalizer 3 Surpasses $100 Million Global Box Office
Sony/Escape Artists’ The Equalizer 3 achieved a significant milestone in its second outing, surpassing the $100 million mark worldwide. The Denzel Washington-led film has earned a cumulative total of $107.7 million, with $45.8 million from the international box office. In its latest frame, The Equalizer 3 garnered an additional $11.5 million across 50 markets. The film is yet to be released in Brazil, Japan, and Mexico, with scheduled premieres in October.
The highest-grossing markets for The Equalizer 3 to date include the United Kingdom ($5.9 million), France ($4.4 million), Germany ($4.2 million), Australia ($4 million), and Spain ($3.2 million).
Warner Bros’ Barbie remains the biggest film of the year, having amassed $1.403 billion globally to date. In its eighth weekend, the film earned an additional $5.5 million from 73 markets, bringing its overseas total to $782.2 million.
The highest-grossing overseas markets for Barbie include the United Kingdom ($120.8 million), Germany ($56.5 million), Australia ($55.6 million), Mexico ($54.3 million), and France ($47.6 million). Greta Gerwig’s living doll has set numerous records, including being the highest-grossing film in Warner Bros’ history, the biggest industry film of 2023, and the third-largest Warner Bros movie internationally. Barbie has also emerged as the top-performing Warner Bros title in 40 markets, surpassing other notable films in regions such as the UK, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Poland.
Aside from global releases, local films have also made an impact