Goliath dominated over David this weekend at the global box office as Disney 20th Century Studios’ Send Help had the last laugh over YouTuber indie powerhouse Markiplier’s Iron Lung with a $28.1M worldwide debut ($20M domestic, $8.1M overseas debut from 47 markets) the latter estimated at a $21.7M global start from 11 markets for 4th place.
That’s a respectable start for Send Help, a movie which before P&A cost $40M. Also, the result is a win for a R-rated original movie. And c’mon, that’s a fantastic result for the less than $3M production Iron Lung. We’re hearing from foreign B.O. sources that there were several sellout shows abroad for Iron Lung.
(L-R) ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
Disney / 20th Century Studios
Send Help takes Disney to its 10th consecutive week at the global B.O., and as of this moment, the Mouse House owns the top three spots with Avatar: Fire and Ash at $24.8M ($5.5M domestic/$19.3M from 52 markets, -34% drop abroad) and Zootopia 2 at $23.1M ($5.8M domestic, $17.3M overseas in 52 territories, -18% abroad). Global rises for Avatar 3 to $1.41 billion, the 18th highest grossing of all-time ahead of Avengers: Age of Ultron ($1.4B). The James Cameron movie with $1.0185B is the No. 12 MPA release of all-time at the foreign B.O. ahead of Fate of the Furious ($1.01B) and Jurassic World ($1.018B). Imax’s global network delivered $3M to Avatar 3 for a running cume for the large format exhibitor on the Na’vi movie at $184M.
Send Help opened No. 1 in Mexico ($1M), Kuwait, Thailand and Indonesia. It was No. 2 in Bahrain, Iceland, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia ($200K), UAE (non-local), Argentina, Brazil ($200K), Korea ($400K), India, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. The Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien movie opened #3 (non-local) in Australia ($800K), Japan ($400K) and Taiwan. Germany did $500K, Italy $400K, Spain $400K, and Netherlands $300K. Realize Send Help is in 80% of the foreign marketplace. It didn’t play UK this weekend where Iron Lung planted its flag. The Sam Raimi-directed movie hits France on Feb. 11.
Zootopia 2 was up in its 10th weekend stateside at +9%. When does that ever happen for an animated movie on a non-holiday weekend? China was also up at +13%, still No. 1 there with the sequel’s cume in the Middle Kingdom now at $631.2M. Zootopia 2 among non-local films in Japan was No.; pic’s cume well north of $90M. The eighth highest MPA release at the worldwide B.O. stands at $1.77B with $408.8M from North American and $1.36B abroad. Other updated cumes are France ($74.6M), Korea ($56.2M), Germany ($48.5M), UK ($43.5M), Mexico ($40.2M), Australia ($27.9M), Brazil ($24.6M), and Taiwan $23.3M).
Mark Fischbach aka Markiplier in ‘Iron Lung’
Markiplier/Everett Collection
Meanwhile, Iron Lung is calling domestic at $17.8M with foreign B.O. sources estimating $3.9M overseas in a limited rollout including UK/Ireland ($1.2M, No. 4 behind The Housemaid, Hamnet and Shelter), Australia/New Zealand, Germany and Netherlands. That foreign start on Iron Lung is 10% ahead of Black Phone, 33% ahead of the start of The Monkey. From what we’ve gathered it made an estimated $800K in Australia, $1.2M including previews for a No. 1 rank across 230 sites (+6% ahead of Longlegs, +18% ahead of Black Phone). New Zealand was No. 1 with an estimated $118K. Germany meh at No. 11 with $300K. Denmark expected to ring up $241K with sold out shows nationwide. Sweden, I understand, was booked late in 65 locations, but took off with $226K.
Jason Statham and Bodhi Rae Breathnach in ‘Shelter’
Daniel Smith / Black Bear /Courtesy Everett Collection
Black Bear’s Jason Statham movie Shelter did $7.5M overseas (at 12,971 locations and 27 territories) to $5.5M in North America for a global opening of $13M for the $50M production which was funded by foreign sales. I’m hearing that P&A domestic was around $15M, and if you want to go large with a Statham action pic, you gotta spend more (A Working Man was around $27M North American P&A).
Shelter played in UK & Ireland (it was No. 1 there with $1.3M ahead of Iron Lung and Primate, and 4% ahead of The Beekeeper and 43% ahead of A Working Man), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, China, Netherlands, Greece, Israel, South Africa, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Croatia/Bosnia, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and West Indies. Shelter was No. 1 in Saudi Arabia ($928K ahead of Send Help, and 78% ahead of comp The Accountant 2), No. 1 in UAE ($707K ahead of Send Help, 7% ahead of Accountant 2). Overall, the Middle East did $2.3M which is 40% ahead of The Accountant and in sync with The Beekeeper. China was a No. 4 debut with $2M, -37% behind Statham’s A Working Man and -53% behind The Beekeeper. The Netherlands bowed to No. 3 ahead of Send Help with $447K, 69% ahead of Accountant 2.
Kali Reis and Chris Pratt in ‘Mercy’
Amazon MGM Studios/Everett Collection
Amazon MGM Studios’ Mercy did $5.6M abroad in 86 markets, with another $4.7M (-56%) in North American for a global second frame of $10.3M and running global cume of $41M ($21.5M of that foreign) for the net $60M Chris Pratt production (before P&A). France opened this weekend at 237 screens to $560K. Holdovers were China ($1.5M at 8K screens, cume $5.7M); Mexico ($360K from 1,031 screens, $1.6M total); Germany ($320K from 461 screens, $943K running total); UK ($264K from 437 sites, $1.5M total); Australia ($240K from 264 screens, cume $1.2M); Japan ($190K from 633 screens, cume $1.1M), Spain ($172K from 272 screens, cume $753K), and Netherlands ($165K at 98 sites, cume $570k). Up next Korea on Feb. 4 and Taiwan on Feb. 6.