"Shrek" sinks "Pirates" at international box office

(Reuters)
Updated: 2007-06-18 10:56

LOS ANGELES - Captain Jack Sparrow took a back seat to that odiferous green ogre internationally during the weekend as "Shrek the Third" finished No. 1 with an estimated boxoffice of $46 million from 3,693 screens in 36 markets.

Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which had been on top of the overseas heap for the previous three weekends, finished No. 2 to the DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures International animated feature. In its fourth weekend, "Pirates" claimed 17,500 screens in 103 territories with estimated boxoffice of $32.6 million.

At No. 3 overall was Warner Bros. International's "Ocean's Thirteen," which in its second weekend pulled an estimated $26.3 million from about 5,000 screens in 38 markets, lifting its overseas cume to $67 million and $136.8 million worldwide.

Director Steven Soderbergh's star-laden caper bowed in six markets, of which Australia (No. 2 with an estimated $3.4 million from 356 locales) and Korea (No. 1 with $3.3 million from 190 sites) stood out. Its biggest market remains the U.K., with an estimated take of $4.5 million from 699 sites for a market cume of $14.2 million. This week brings openings in France and Brazil.

A more crowded international marketplace for the weekend saw the bow of 20th Century Fox International/Marvel Enterprises' "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," which opened No. 1 domestically but landed at No. 4 internationally.

The latest in the adventure franchise grossed an estimated $25.4 million from 3,292 screens in 32 markets. The strongest territory for "Silver Surfer" was the U.K., where it finished in first place with an estimated $8 million from 474 screens for a per-screen average of nearly $17,000. Its early worldwide tally stands at $82.8 million.

"Shrek," which began a gradual foreign rollout May 17, bowed in 13 territories during the weekend, breaking records or finishing at No. 1 in at least eight. The biggest opening was France, where it placed No. 1 with a weekend tally of an estimated $12 million from 724 screens.

The third "Shrek" has grossed $107 million overseas so far and $404 million worldwide. The overseas gross for "Shrek 2" is $480 million; the original "Shrek" made $210 million.

Buena Vista International's "At World's End" bowed in China for a mighty $6.8 million from 979 screens, the biggest BVI opening in the market. The first in the series, 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," drew $1.2 million in its China bow; last year's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" did not play in the territory.

The overseas gross for "At World's End" is $547 million, making it the 10th-most-popular overseas release ever. With an $821 million worldwide cume, it ranks 16th among global hits.

Finishing at No. 5 for the weekend was Sony's "Spider-Man 3," which raised its overseas gross to $543.9 million on the strength of a $3.1 million weekend on 4,300 screens in 77 territories.

Sony's latest animation entry, "Surf's Up," has accumulated an overseas tally of $4.5 million thanks to a $945,000 weekend from 400 screens in Russia and Ukraine.