May Day mishmash
'Erin,' 'Scream' best of mixed holiday mart
Miramax/BVI’s “Scream 3” (estimated cume: $38 million) spooked a huge $5.1 million U.K. bow, easily surpassing its predecessors and stealing top spot from local comedy “Kevin and Perry Go Large,” which plunged 42% for a two-week cume of $10.4 million, while UIP’s “Galaxy Quest” (cume: $12.9 million) beamed a solid bow (also laffing a good $194,480 from 39 Filipino sites).
Also in the U.K., Jim Jarmusch’s “Ghost Dog” did well in limited release, unlike “Million Dollar Hotel” which tanked, while BVI’s “Tigger Movie” (cume: $17.9 million) hiked 28% in its fifth lap.
‘Erin’ courts auds
CTSI’s “Erin Brockovich” (cume: $64.3 million) stalked a wow bow in France, way ahead of local offering “Une Affaire de Gout.” “Erin” also grabbed an excellent $359,830 and $223,285 from 18 and 27 theaters in Taiwan (way ahead of “Eye of the Beholder”) and Singapore, respectively, a good $125,370 and $83,165 from 41 and eight sites in Denmark and Uruguay, respectively, an OK $239,085 and $74,371 from 83 and 28 Dutch and Malaysian screens, respectively, and a poor $41,920 from 40 Greek houses.
UIP/DreamWorks’ “American Beauty” (cume: $185.7 million) staged a great $2.8 million from 160 theaters in Japan, where Fox’s “The Beach” (cume: $92.2 million) grossed $6.6 million in two frames and UIP/WB’s “The Green Mile” (cume: $120.2 million) continued to do great biz for an estimated Nippon cume of $40 million.
Rome in a day
UIP’s “Gladiator” had its world preem in thesp Russell Crowe’s home turf Down Under, slaying $620,000 in its first day on 287 prints. That’s the fifth biggest non-vacation one-day opening in Oz after “Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace,” “Independence Day,” “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.”
Fox’s “Stir of Echoes” spooked a so-so bow in Oz, ahead of a less-than-impassioned outing for UIP’s baseball romance “For the Love of the Game” (cume: $6.5 million).
In Italy, moviegoing started to trail off with the warmer weather, resulting in Medusa’s Cannes-screening Chinese costumer “The Emperor and the Assassin” tanking along with Miramax’s comedy “Down to You.” But religious-themed horror in Italy’s holy year got some auds out for a good bow for UIP’s “Stigmata” (cume: $39.2 million) behind stayers “Pokemon” and “Erin Brockovich.”
Teutonic chill
Sunny weather also made for a blah frame in Germany, where “Haunted Hill” was the best freshman in an underwhelming bunch, followed closely by UIP’s “Double Jeopardy” (cume: $56 million), while BVI/Spyglass’ “The Insider” (cume: $28.6 million) didn’t ignite huge interest, mustering $290,000 from 108 packs.
WB’s “Romeo Must Die” (cume: $5.6 million) bowed in the top spot in Thailand with $454,670 from 80 prints and took $533,060 from 43 sites in South Korea behind “Scream 3” and local pic “Anarchists.” CTSI’s “Stuart Little” (cume: $82.5 million) scuttled into top spot in India with $132,914 from 41 traps, while BVI/Spyglass’ “Mission to Mars” (cume: $10.4 million) landed $502,000 from 130 pads in Brazil, where UIP’s “Angela’s Ashes” (cume: $18.2 million) wept an OK $20,170 from six screens.
New Line’s “Final Destination” (cume: $2.4 million) landed $93,000 from 30 Swedish screens, while UIP’s “Being John Malkovich” (cume: $12 million) laffed $18,305 from four Chile cinemas and stablemate “Snow Falling on Cedars” (cume: $7 million) melted $17,045 from five Kiwi sites.
BVI’s Imax release of “Fantasia 2000” ended its 18-week run with $14.5 million from 20 screens in 14 nations. Cume is equal to what “Everest” grossed in 10 months and includes grosses of more than $1 million in five theaters in Tokyo, Osaka, London, Valencia and Paris.
