‘Argylle’ Weaves $35M Global Debut; How Does Overseas Factor In Its Future? Meanwhile, ‘Mean Girls’ Nears $100M WW, ‘Anyone But You’ Tops $150M, Korea Sweet On ‘Wonka’ – International Box Office

Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, the third Apple Original Films movie to go wide in cinemas, spied an estimated $35.3M global debut through Sunday, including $17.3M from 78 international box office markets. While that makes it the top title worldwide, overseas and domestically this frame, the ultra-expensive ensemble thriller was harshed on by critics and didn’t get folks rushing out to theaters.

Vaughn’s Marv financed Argylle, then sold it to Apple for $200M. Universal came on for the global theatrical release. 

As Anthony has detailed in his in-depth analysis, in the wake of Killers of the Flower Moon and Napoleon, and though exhibition the world over desperately needs content, there are questions to be asked about Apple sustaining these mega-productions that don’t produce outsize numbers.

Overseas, Argylle fared better with critics and still has launches to come — including Korea which is a very big Vaughn market. The hope internationally is that the film can pull its socks up and get a bit of a run with no competition ahead and as Hollywood titles have in general been holding well (see below). We’re not expecting miracles, and we are seeing smaller grosses, but there has been solid staying power. Still, there needs to be urgency to get people off their couches on the first weekend (is it confusing to potential moviegoers that AppleTV+ advertises these films front and center on its platform when they hit theaters, possibly leading folks to think they’re already on the service if they don’t read the fine print?).

Looking at this first frame internationally, Argylle had its best start in the UK with $2.63M, landing No. 2 behind the No. 1 start of Illumination/Universal’s Migration which finally flew into the market on its staggered release pattern (more below on that one); in line with Bullet Train and The Lost City, and above The Hitman’s Bodyguard. Australia scored a No. 1 debut with $1.6M well above The Man From U.N.C.L.E and Vaughn’s The King’s Man (neither of which is a terribly sexy comp, but reviews there were positive). France was also a No. 1 start with $1.5M, also similar to Hitman’s Bodyguard. Mexico and Germany came in with $1.3M apiece, the latter a crowded marketplace. Those starts are in line with or above The Hitman’s Bodyguard. The IMAX launch was $3M global, including $1.3M from 345 offshore screens.

Vaughn’s Kingsman movies have tended to final at around 70% from international, and while Argylle’s opening is essentially a 50/50 split with domestic, it’s expected ultimate grosses will tip towards overseas.

To come are Korea on February 7, then China on February 23 (at the tail end of the Lunar New Year period and after heavy trailering) and Japan on March 1.

In holdover news, and as noted above, there’s still encouraging play despite the lack of new product. This includes a new milestone ahead for Paramount’s Mean Girls as it closes in on $100M worldwide with markets still to open through March. Also, after crossing $400M global last weekend, WB/DC’s Aquaman 2 topped $300M internationally (see details below). 

Standing out with yet another exceptional hold is Sony’s Anyone But You which dipped by just 7% overseas this frame, with strong midweeks propelling momentum into the weekend.

The session was good for a terrific $13.5M from 49 markets, bringing the offshore total to $75.5M and global to $151.8M. In Western Europe, the Sydney Sweeney/Glen Powell-starrer was No. 1 again in Germany (now three weeks running), and Italy jumped by 51% in the sophomore frame at No. 1. France and Spain also saw 30% and 23% increases, respectively.

In Latin America, the film claimed the No. 1 spot in 10 out of 11 markets. Mexico repeated at No. 1 and Brazil jumped 65% to take the top spot. Wow!

Here are the Top 5 to date: Australia ($13.1M), UK ($11.8M), Germany ($8.4M), Mexico ($5.3M), Italy ($4.1M).

Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Heyday Films’ Wonka finally wended its way to Korea with terrific results. The start in the market that leans into Hollywood musicals was No. 1 with $5.6M from 1,750 screens. That’s the biggest opening weekend for Timothée Chalamet (outperforming Dune), the biggest opening weekend for director Paul King, and the biggest opening weekend in 2024. The charmer has already overtaken the lifetimes of Mary Poppins Returns and Paddington in the market. 

In total this weekend, Wonka added $10.4M from 77 offshore hubs. The international cume is now $370.6M for $571.7M worldwide.

The Top 5 markets to date are the UK ($76.7M), France ($29.8M), Mexico ($26.4M), Australia ($25M) and Germany ($23.6M).

Illumination/Universal’s Migration finally flew into the UK and did so with a great $4.5M at No. 1 and across 1,500 screens including 35 4DX screens. The start is double Encanto, and above Moana, Wish and Elemental and in-line with Despicable Me. Saturday grossed $2.2M, representing the biggest Saturday number for an animated title since Uni and Illumination’s Super Mario Bros last April.

Migration still has Japan to come in March. The international weekend was $8.5M (-32%) for an offshore cume through Sunday of $115.7M with global at $222M.

Searchlight’s Poor Things is anything but with an $8.5M weekend in 37 markets. The international cume is now $40.1M for $68.3M worldwide. The multiple Oscar nominee dropped by just 23% in holdovers with mega-strength in such markets as Sweden (+5%), Italy (-9%), Austria (-9%), Spain (-13%), Germany (-15%), Mexico (-26%) and France (-28%). Notably, in Brazil, Poor Things opened at an estimated $500K, 125% ahead of The Favourite and repping the 2^nd highest debut for a Searchlight Pictures film of all time, behind only The Shape of Water.

Here’s the Top 5 to date: UK ($7.5M), Italy ($5.1M), Germany ($3M), Greece ($3M) and Mexico ($2.9M).

Miramax’s The Beekeeper buzzed up another $6.2M this weekend, from 61 overseas markets. This puts $73.1M in the honeycomb internationally, for $122M global. In like-for-likes, the Jason Statham-starrer is running 24% ahead of Wrath of Man, 32% above Plane and 31% over the first John Wick.

Holds continued to be muscular in some markets including Germany (-25%) and Saudi Arabia (-22%). Still on deck are Scandinavia this month, Korea in March and Japan in late 2024. 

Viacom 18/Marflix’s Hindi aviation actioner Fighter, from Pathaan director Siddharth Anand and starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, is now estimated to be at $36M globally after its sophomore frame. Per our sources, the India cume is $25.5M.

Next weekend, there will be a lot of noise out of China which ushers in the Lunar New Year beginning February 10. IMAX will play a selection of new films across its 755 screens there including Zhang Yimou’s Article 20, comedies Pegasus 2 and Yolo and the latest in the animated Boonie Bears franchise. 

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is also getting an IMAX reissue on 786 screens in 62 markets which will include a sneak peek at Dune: Part Two.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB): $4.3M intl weekend (78 markets); $302.7M intl cume/$423.5M global
Mean Girls (PAR): $2.4M intl weekend (32 markets); $26.3M intl cume/$92.7M global
The Holdovers (UNI): $2M intl weekend (28 markets); $15.3M intl cume/$35M global
Eine Million Minuten (WB): $2M intl weekend (Germany only); $2M cume
The Color Purple (WB): $750K intl weekend (12 markets); $3.8M intl cume/$64.1M global