`Royale` flush as Bond cleans up around international box-offices

James Bond remains licensed to kill at the overseas box office, as the third frame of "Casino Royale" parlayed a dominating $44.7 million at 6,770 playdates in 54 markets for the weekend. Pic has now cashed in $196.5 million internationally and $312.4 million worldwide - reports Variety.

Thanks to impressive European holdovers, "Casino Royale" took in more than the combined grosses of the next four Hollywood pics -- "Flushed Away," "The Departed," "Borat" and "Happy Feet." By contrast, day-and-date launches of "The Nativity Story" showed little traction, even in Catholic markets such as Spain, Mexico and Brazil.

With openings next weekend in Australia and Mexico plus a track record of respectable staying power, "Casino" looks likely to top the worldwide Bond pic record of $431 million set by "Die Another Day."

"Casino Royale" turned in its top perf in the U.K., with $10.4 million at 992 off 36% in its second frame for a $71 million cume -- $15 million above the final Brit mark for "Die Another Day." Germany followed with $8.6 million at 1,190, down 34% from the launch weekend, and France generated $5.3 million at 790, off 41% in its soph sesh.

"Casino Royale" launched in Japan with a moderate $3.4 million at 458, finishing second to a local pic. Its Spanish soph sesh declined 48% to $2 million at 500, while its second Swiss frame slid 29% to $1.7 million at 158.

Scandinavian biz remained stellar for 007, with $4.8 million at about 400 in the pic's second frame for a cume of nearly $17 million. Denmark led the way with $1.65 million at 101, down 22%, for a total of $5.6 million.

UIP's "Flushed Away," opening in major foreign markets for the first time, finished a distant but decent second with $14 million at 2,591 in 23 markets. Blighty biz was by far the biggest, with a launch of $6.2 million at 468, down 34% from the opening of "Chicken Run," followed by a French bow with $2.7 million at 608 and a Spanish debut of $1.6 million at 419.

"Flushed" has cumed $21.5 million overseas and $81 million worldwide.

"The Departed" remained respectable with $8.7 million at more than 2,500 in 44 markets, led by its French launch of $4.2 million at 629. Leonardo DiCaprio-Jack Nicholson starrer, which opens next weekend in Germany, has totaled $90.4 million offshore and $208 million worldwide.

Fox's "Borat" stayed solid with $8.6 million at 2,200, led by its second Australian frame with $2.3 million at 292, down 38%; its fifth U.K. weekend drew $1.5 million at 390 to lift its Brit cume to $43.1 million. "Borat" has hit $96.8 million in foreign coin and $213 million worldwide.

Warner domestic hit "Happy Feet" showed traction in its first major foreign markets with $8.1 million at 2,500 in 17 territories, led by an Italian launch of $2 million at 550 and a German debut of $1.9 million at 859. Toon, which has cumed $134 million worldwide, opens next weekend in Holland, Mexico, Spain and the U.K. as Warner tries to position it as the go-to family pic during the holiday season.

"The Nativity Story," handled by a variety of local distribs, posted lackluster launches as it showed far less traction in overseas markets than Stateside. It opened in 13th in Spain with $250,000 at 210, 16th in Mexico with $150,000 at 199, seventh in Brazil with $100,000 at 148, fourth in Argentina with $100,000, 16th in Australia with $90,000 at 108 and sixth in New Zealand with $35,000 at 37. Italian estimates weren't available Sunday.

BVI's holiday-themed "The Santa Clause 3" hauled in $4.1 million at 1,200 in nine markets, led by the U.K. soph sesh with $1.9 million at 375, down 25%. "Clause 3" led in its Mexican launch with $1.4 million at 380, three times better than "Clause 2."

BVI also began building the foreign campaign for "Deja Vu" with $3.8 million at 850 in four markets, with a first-place Spanish launch of $2.4 million at 400 and a Mexican soph sesh of $1.1 million at 400, up 4%. "Saw III," handled by Lionsgate and BVI, scared up another $3.3 million in 29 markets to push its foreign cume to $50 million and worldwide to $130 million.

Sony's "Open Season" took in $3.2 million at 2,970 in 52 markets, led by a second-place Australian launch with $1 million at 239. "Season," which opens next weekend in Italy and Japan, has totaled $81.2 million overseas -- $3 million shy of the domestic cume.

Fox's "The Devil Wears Prada" added $2.3 million at 1,500, led by its third Japanese sesh of $1.1 million at 291, off 21%, to push foreign coin for "Devil" to $186 million and $311 million worldwide. Fox's "Deck the Halls" also took in $2.3 million at 1,500, led by a moderate U.K. launch of $1.1 million at 306.

Fox's "A Good Year" remained a modest performer with $1.9 million at 2,000 to lift its overseas cume to $19 million. "Death Note: The Last Name" scared up $1.8 million in its fifth weekend in Japan, where it's handled by Warner Bros. and has cumed $36.8 million; "The Prestige" grossed $1.5 million at 798 in 20 markets for Warner Bros., and UIP's "Jackass Number Two" tracked down $1.2 million at 675.

Fox's "Little Miss Sunshine" took in $923,000 at 400, led by a sixth-place German launch of $395,000 at 104. Pic has cumed $24.9 million overseas and $83 million worldwide.

Discuss this news here...