300 handily vanquished the opposition at this weekend’s box office, taking in about $31.2 million for a total of $127.5 after 10 days. It was a 56% drop-off from the bofftastic opening weekend but the WB expects it to reach $200 million. Meanwhile, it’s also expect to slay them overseas.
Thanks to smashing bows in five Asian territories plus exceptionally strong holdover-market performances, “300” decisively dominated international boxoffice for the weekend, battling its way to an estimated $15.6 million from about 1,300 screens in 13 markets.
The Warner Bros. International release took the No. 1 spot in each market it played. The fresh territories included South Korea (an estimated $6.3 million in five days from 353 screens), Turkey ($1.5 million from 115 sites), Thailand ($917,000 from 120 spots), Hong Kong ($730,000 from 33 sites for an astonishing $22,121 per-screen average) and India ($582,000 from 161 sites).
The biggest of the holdover markets for director Zack Snyder’s rendition of Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. is Greece, where the film earned an estimated $2.5 million at 140 screens in its second weekend for a per-screen average of $17,857. The second-weekend tally is exceeded only by “300’s” record-setting opening weekend in the market. Upcoming this weekend are “300” openings in such major territories as the U.K., France, Italy, Spain and Mexico.
Variety has more, with predctions of “massive” worldwide grosses:
“It will go very, very, very well in Spain,” says one Iberian exhib, who predicted around $16 million for the title and listed violence and piracy as the only possible downsides.
“There’s lots of excitement about it,” a German booker notes. “It even got a standing ovation at the Berlinale. The movie is going to attract male viewers looking for brutal action and female viewers eager to see Gerard Butler in the buff.”
Meanwhile, Ghost Rider has been holding it’s own at the box office, taking in $197.7 million worldwide.
Isn’t it great when comic book movies exhibit longevity at the B.O?
Ghost Rider was # 1 for two straight weeks – now this.
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Coat
Except Ghost Rider was an embarassment. Say what you want about the character, GR deserved better than THAT.
On the other hand, I saw 300 on Saturday and it was grrrreeeeaaat! Very violent, of course, but talk about cinematic. I will never understand why men would go into a swordfight in nothing but a codpiece and a cape, but the girl next to me liked it… so whatever.
Visually, though, this was just a stunning, stunning endeavor. Hypnotizing. Totally hypnotizing. LOVED IT!!!