Avatar adds $153m to Fox Int'l kitty in second week

Avatar adds $153m to Fox Int'l kitty in second week

MUMBAI: Avatar grossed much more in its second weekend than Fox International originally estimated. It added $152.8m to $413.2m after 12 days of release.

The result propelled the studios annual box-office tally to an industry-high of $2.28bn overtaking Warner Bros Pictures International‘s $2.24bn record from 2007.

The James Cameron film played on 14,686 screens in 108 markets. Combined with the $212.7m North American take Avatar has grossed $625.9m worldwide.

International business was driven by impressive holds and Fox‘s highest non-franchise launch in Japan on $14.5m from 749 screens, which was also Fox‘s fourth highest launch behind the Star Wars franchise. The 283 3D screen count comprised 38% of the entire count and accounted for 75% of box office.

In the second weekend, Avatar grossed a further $21.8m from 1,114 in France for $51.7m, $13.6m from 1,329 in Russia for $44.2m, $12.8m from 1,138 in Germany for $34.2m, $12.5m from 800 in Spain for $28.8m, and $6.5m from 735 in South Korea for $23.4m.

The film added $6.1m from 496 in the UK for $28.4m and $5.6m from 1,478 in Mexico for $15.1m and is now the second highest industry release of 2009 behind Ice Age 3.

Elsewhere, Avatar added $5.3m from 654 in Brazil after a 5 per cent climb to stand at $13.9m following the highest second weekend in industry history and added $2.8m from 71 in Hong Kong following a 44 per cent rise to stand at $6.9m.
It is the third highest Fox release ever and the seventh highest industry release after 11 days.

Latest figures put Taiwan at $7.8m, Holland at $6m, India at $10.7m, Sweden at $5.3m, Switzerland at $4.4m, and Singapore at $4.2m, where Avatar is the second highest Fox release ever behind Titanic on SGD 5.3m.

Avatar overtook Titanic in Malaysia to become the highest Fox release in history on $3.5m, and overtook Ice Age 3 in Indonesia to become Fox‘s biggest release ever on $2.9m.

The film grossed $3.367m on IMAX screens in a new IMAX record. So far Avatar has amassed $11.3m internationally and should overtake the $15m record within two or three days. The global IMAX take for Avatar stands at $35m.