'This Is It' doesn't skip a beat overseas

Concert pic grosses $69.6 million in Oct. 30-Nov. 1 frame

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

The overseas box office once again delivered Hollywood a big victory, this time for Sony's Michael Jackson topliner "This Is It."

Docu, rushed together after Jackson's death, grossed an estimated $69.6 million from 8,929 playdates in more than 100 territories to easily win the Oct. 30-Nov. 1 frame. That's the fifth-best opening of 2009 -- no small feat for a rehearsal concert film.

"This Is It," directed by Kenny Ortega, edged out 20th Century Fox's sequel "National Treasure: Battle of the Smithsonian," which opened to $49 million at the foreign box office.

The No. 1 opening of 2009 is Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which unspooled to $236 million in July.

Foreign haul was more than double the domestic opening gross of $34.4 million. That didn't surprise Sony or other box office observers, considering Jackson's worldwide following.

Japan led with more than $10 million from 332 locations, followed by the U.K. with more than $7.5 million from 806. Germany came in at $6.6 million from 930, while ticket sales in France reached nearly $6 million from 483. Rounding out the top five in terms of highest grossing territories was Australia at north of $3.6 million from 284.

The big question now is how well "This Is It" holds up against the competish, specifically Jim Carrey starrer "Disney's A Christmas Carol," directed by Robert Zemeckis and released in 3D. "A Christmas Carol" is set to launch in 18 territories over the Nov. 6-8 frame, including biggies the U.K., Australia and German-speaking Europe.

Zemeckis' 3D epic "Beowulf" generated strong business overseas in 2007, cuming $114.1 million, compared to a domestic total of $82.3 million.

"A Christmas Carol" could also take heat away from Disney's own 3D toon "Up," which has been dominating the top 10 foreign chart for much of the fall. The Disney/Pixar toon came in No. 2 at the international B.O. for the frame, grossing north of $13 million from 4,700 screens for a dazzling $352.7 million cume in its 23rd week, and that's before it opens in Japan.

Local fare stood out in several territories -- French pic "Le Petit Nicolas" placed No. 3 for the sesh, grossing $7.6 million from 678 playdates in three territories for a cume of $42.3 million in its fifth frame.

Another Disney toon, "G-Force," followed closely with $7.2 million from 2,735 screens in 32 territories for pleasing foreign cume of $148 million in its 15th week.

On a roll, Disney placed No. 5 with Bruce Willis starrer "Surrogates." Thriller grossed $6.2 million from 1,963 screens in 38 territories for a cume of $60.3 million. Pic whipped up good biz in France, grossing $3.7 million from 425, equaling the opening of "District 9."

French crime comedy "Micmacs a tire-larigot" opened at No. 6 internationally, grossing $5.9 million from 673 runs in three territories.

Gauls titles made quite a splash overall for the frame. French Western "LuckyLuke" placed No. 7, grossing $5.8 million from 732 screens in three territories for a foreign cume of $14.3 million in only its second frame.

Sony's 3D kiddie pic "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" stayed in the top 10 in its seventh frame, grossing $5.4 million from 4,501 playdates in 34 territories for a foreign total of $171.7 million, reinforcing the popularity of 3D titles abroad.

Disney popped up again on the chart with Russian pic "The Book of Masters," which opened to a dazzling $4.1 million from 660 runs in Russia. That's the best opening ever for a kiddie pic in that country. Film is the Mouse House's first local Russian production.

Twisted Pictures' "Saw VI" came in No. 10 in its second weekend of play internationally, grossing $4.1 million from 3,799 runs in 15 territories for a foreign total of $34.9 million. Film hasn't done the same level of biz as previous installments in the horror franchise.

Elsewhere at the international B.O., Alejandro Amenabar's "Agora" continued to wow Spanish auds, coming in No. 1 for the weekend ahead of "This Is It."

"Agora" ended the frame with a cume of $25.2 million, the third best gross of the year in Spain after "Up" and "Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

Andrew Horn in Berlin and Emilio Mayorga in Madrid contributed to this report.