Quartet of pics shines in o'seas B.O.
'Vertical Limit' settles for 2nd in Japan behind 'Dinosaur'
Opening in Japan on the heels of its domestic launch, "Vertical Limit" has to settle for second spot behind fellow rookie "Dinosaur," according to estimates based on the country's nine key cities.
"Parents," the Robert De Niro/Ben Stiller laffer, grossed an estimated $1.5 million in three days in Germany, ranking No. 1 and topping "Angels," which rang up an estimated $1.4 million in its soph session, falling by 35%. "Parents" also debuted in pole position in Austria and Switzerland.
Claymation funster "Chicken Run" is an instant hit Down Under, pulling an estimated $1.1 million in four days, dislodging "Angels," which abated by about 32% after two weekends at the top, earning an estimated $990,000.
The Cameron Diaz/Drew Barrymore/Lucy Liu-headlined caper stirred Holland, often a lethargic cinema market, delivering an estimated $650,000 in four days on 100 screens, Columbia TriStar Intl. reported Sunday.
The distrib noted that "Angels" captured about $250,000 in three days on 52 in Denmark in a close contest for line honors with local entry "Italiensk For Begyndere."
The McG-helmed action-comedy dipped by about 10% in Spain, where the overall B.O. was boosted by a public holiday Friday, coining an estimated $1 million in its second turn.
The remarkably resilient "What Lies Beneath" bounced back to No. 1 in Spain, fetching $1.5 million in its third frame, bringing the estimated territory cume to $6.7 million, 20th Century Fox Intl. said Sunday.
Roger Spottiswoode's "The 6th Day" seized pole position as it debuted in Hong Kong with an estimated $370,000 in four days on 36 and in Taiwan at about $275,000 in three days on 16.
Bowing Saturday on 300 prints in Japan, Martin Campbell's "Vertical Limit" ranked "a good" second behind "Dinosaur," based on the nine key cities, according to Col TriStar. A clearer idea of its performance vs. "Dinosaur" won't emerge until today. Fox said "Beneath" was No. 3 in Japan, pocketing an estimated $550,000 in its first day on 260 screens.
In the U.K., "The Grinch" retained top spot in its second weekend, minting an estimated $2.2 million Friday/Saturday.
"Charlie's Angels" fell by about 36% in its third outing, swiping an estimated $1.3 million in the same period, while "102 Dalmatians" scampered in with an estimated $1 million. M. Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable" reigned in Mexico, conjuring up an estimated $819,000 in its first two days, beating "The Grinch," which found an estimated $585,000, plunging by about 44% after a stellar preem.
"Unbreakable" is reported to have dropped by 31% in Argentina but still clung to No. 1 in its second lap, spiriting away an estimated $520,000 in three days. "102 Dalmatians" was a distant second, nibbling an estimated $200,000 in its initial three days.
