Headline PH: "Robin Hood" holds on to No. 1 overseas

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Russell Crowe's "Robin Hood" braved a generally soft weekend at the foreign box office, narrowly holding on to the No. 1 spot for a second round.

Unseasonably warm weather in key Western European markets suppressed attendance by as much as half in Scandinavia to a third in Spain and the U.K., according to Disney calculations. Paramount described the situation as a "heat wave across Europe which kept grosses down for all films."

Dropping 60% from its opening launch, "Robin Hood" fought its way to $30 million from 58 markets. So far, director Ridley Scott's re-imagining of the Crusades-era outlaw has grossed a total of $125 million overseas.

"Robin Hood" slipped to No. 2 in the U.K. and Germany, but logged strong No. 1 second-round finishes in France and Australia.

New domestic champ "Shrek Forever After" opened in nine overseas territories, collecting $26 million. Russia accounted for $20 million.

"Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," which debuts in North America this weekend, earned $18 million after opening at No. 1 in 18 of its 19 markets. The strongest market was Spain, which provided a No. 1 tally of $3 million.

Fourth was "Iron Man 2," which collected $13.3 million in its fourth weekend in 61 territories. The overseas total stands at $268 million.

A solid first-place finish in Korea ($7 million) propelled "How to Train Your Dragon" to a $10.5 million weekend in 62 territories. Its total rose to $235 million.

By Frank Segers
Reuters

You might also like this: