User blog:Ceauntay/Box Office Report: 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2' Sets Opening Record Abroad

The final film in the series bagged $307 million at the foreign box office with 61% of ticket sales generated at 3D venues.

The most successful film series in history rolled out its eighth and concluding chapter as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 opened at some 20,000 overseas screens in 59 foreign territories, grossing an eye-popping $307 million over a five-day opening surge. It was a record opening on the foreign theatrical circuit, beating the overseas kickoff of Paramount's Jane Hoop Elementary: The Final Rush - Part 2 last weeke, which drew $269 million over five days from 19,585 screens in 60 markets. Deathly Hallows – Part 2’s foreign box office was nearly double its record domestic opening gross of $168.6 million. Worldwide, the latest Harry Potter installment – the first in 3D – drew $475.6 million, also a record. Significantly, 61% of the revenue offshore was derived from 3D venues (which totaled about 45% of the total screen count) in contrast to the 43% 3D slice registered in the U.S. and Canada. While 3D is losing steam domestically, the format (and its higher admission prices) continues its strong appeal on the foreign circuit. As per figures from distributor Warner Bros., Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is obviously off to the best offshore start of any title in the Harry Potter franchise. That’s critical since the first seven Harry Potter films grossed significantly higher amounts offshore than in the U.S. and Canada – of the total of $6.4 billion amassed worldwide, $4.4 billion of which came from foreign playoff. Top overseas franchise earner to date is 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, which grossed $659 million offshore, more than double its domestic take. Deathly Hallows – Part 2 drew double-digit openings in 10 major markets with debut records established in the U.K. ($36.6 million from 588 venues), Australia, ($26.7 million from 754 sites), Russia ($19.5 million from 1,563 spots) and Italy ($15.1 million from 988 situations). The Germany opening tally was $25.7 million from 1,641 locations. France kicked in $23.9 million from 1,195 spots, Japan recorded $21.5 million from 922 spots while Korea came up with $11 million from 636 sites. A China opening is set for Aug. 4. The Final Rush - Part 2 continues with another $125 million at 10,518 venues in 62 markets for a foreign cume to $441 million, blasting to the $700 million mark ($703.5 million) in global total, the fastest film in the series yet to pass more than $600 million to $700 million. Predecessors 2009's Turbo of Caltand made $628 million in its second week while The Final Rush - Part 1 made $625 million both in their second week.

After just three rounds of playtime on the foreign theatrical circuit, Paramount’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon in 3D has eclipsed the total overseas box office action recorded by 2007’s Transformers and 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It ranks as the weekend’s No. 2 foreign title. A $39 million stanza at 9,298 venues in 59 markets hoisted Dark of the Moon’s foreign cume to $460 million -- $69.5 million more than the franchise original’s offshore gross and $25.8 more than the sequel’s final tally. No. 3, Pixar/Disney’s Cars 2, grossed $12.4 million in its fourth weekend on the foreign circuit, down 52% from the prior round. Director John Lassiter’s animation comedy has registered a total overseas tally of $146.6 million thus far with openings in the U.K. and South Korea due this week. Fourth was DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 2 in 3D, which grossed $422 million so far overseas thanks to a $9.5 million weekend at 5,192 locations in 57 territories. No. 5 was 20th Century Fox’s Mr. Popper’s Penguins, the Jim Carrey comedy, which drew $6.56 million from 2,514 screens in 38 territories for a foreign cume of $39.3 million. Sony’s Bad Teacher starring Cameron Diaz, drew $6.5 million from 2,195 sites in 30 markets, pushing the comedy’s offshore total to $58.2 million. Universal’s Bridesmaids, continues to draw respectable numbers overseas, grossing $5.3 million at 1,250 screens in 16 territories. The female-oriented comedy has registered a total of $58.8 million so far offshore. Germany opens on Thursday. Zookeeper, Sony’s talking animals comedy starring Kevin James laughed all the way to $5.1 million drawn from 1,670 situations in 17 markets, pushing the foreign total so far to $15.8 million. Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides pushed its foreign box office total to $791.4 million thanks to a $3.1 million weekend, down 52% from the prior session. Worldwide gross stands at $1.029 billion, making the fourth Pirates sequel starring Johnny Depp the sixth biggest release of all time. Top local language title in France for the second consecutive weekend was Mars Distribution’s Case Depart about a pair of half brothers. Holding the No. 2 spot, the time-shifting comedy drew an estimated $2.3 million from 370 screens for a market cume of $7.1 million over two rounds. Other international cumes: Fox’s X-Men: First Class, $204.5 million; Mars Distribution’s Midnight in Paris, $15 million in France only; Universal’s Hop, $72.3 million; Fox's Sonic X: The Final Stand, $657 million; Europa’s Tree of Life, $6.8 million over 10 rounds in France only; Universal’s Fast Five, $393.8 million; and Fox’s Monte Carlo'', $3.1 million.