SUBMITTED BY Kit-Kat

July 6, 2009 — Frank Segers reports: "Fox's "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" seized the No. 1 spot on the foreign circuit during the July 4 weekend as the third installment of the family-oriented series drew an estimated $148 million from 11,652 screens in 101 markets.

The opening-weekend tally set an overseas record for an animation film and was the sixth-biggest for any film. It also is the largest foreign introduction of a 3D title, said Paul Hanneman, co-president of Fox theatrical international.

Hanneman also said that the 18% of screens that showed "Ice Age" in 3D (2,126) provided 34% of the boxoffice take ($51 million). Early returns from U.K. show the 3D version in the No. 1 market spot, with the conventional theatrical edition ranked No. 2.

The threequel set overseas records for biggest weekend openings in 16 markets including Russia, Mexico and Brazil. Opening-weekend records for an animation title were set in 11 other territories including France, India and Greece. The top individual market was Russia, with $18.9 million.

The huge foreign opening more than doubled the $67.5 million No. 1 debut of the previous installment, 2006's "Ice Age: The Meltdown."

The "Ice Age" series about the adventures of prehistoric animals including an acorn-loving squirrel is more popular internationally than in North America. 2002's "Ice Age" drew $206 million in overseas boxoffice versus $176.4 million in North America, and "The Meltdown" pulled $457 million abroad versus $195.3 million domestic.

Also opening day-and-date with its No. 3 domestic bow was "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, which finished No. 4 overseas.

Universal released director Michael Mann's Depression-era crime drama in only five markets -- the U.K., Denmark, Mexico, Greece and Serbia/Montenegro -- for $5.3 million from 958 screens. U.K. action dominated with a $3.6 million debut, No. 3 in the market, from 458 situations.

In general, American features dominated overseas more than usual during the weekend. For example, the top five films in the key markets of the U.K., France and Germany were U.S. titles. In the Paris area, Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" finished No. 3 behind "Ice Age" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."

No. 2 on the weekend was DreamWorks/Paramount's "Transformers," which opened in two smaller markets (Pakistan and Vietnam) and bagged $55.3 million overall on the weekend from 9,546 locations in 62 territories.

Since it opened internationally June 19, director Michael Bay's sci-fi action sequel has grossed $298 million overseas, just $91 million shy of the $389 million the 2007 original bagged in its entire foreign run. The sequel's worldwide tally is $591.5 million.

Warner Bros.' "The Hangover" laughed all the way to the No. 3 weekend spot with $8.7 million from 1,975 screens in 30 markets, off just 13% from the prior weekend. The comedy's cume stands at $61.5 million.

Fifth was Sony's "Terminator Salvation," starring Christian Bale. The latest in the futuristic action series drew $5 million from 4,590 in 63 territories, for a cume of $228.7 million from all markets including some that Sony doesn't handle.

Disney's Sandra Bullock-Ryan Reynolds comedy "The Proposal" grossed $4.2 million from 1,754 screens in 15 markets for a cume of $29.5 million. Tied at $2.6 million each were Sony's "Angel & Demons," which played 2,670 locations in 62 territories, and "Disney's "Hannah Montana: The Movie," playing 2,040 situations in 28 markets. Cume for "Angels" is $342.2 million; "Hannah Montana" stands at $59.9 million.

Pixar/Disney's "Up" pushed its foreign cume to $50.8 million, thanks to a $1.8 million weekend at 1,350 sites in 15 markets.

Other international cumes: Sony's "Year One," $7 million; Paramount's "Star Trek," $125 million; Fox's "12 Rounds," $5.1 million; Universal's "State of Play," $43.8 million; Fox's "Dragonball: Evolution," $48.4 million; Focus Features/Universal's "Coraline," $38.1 million; Fox's "Notorious," $6.9 million; and Pathe/Fox's "Slumdog Millionaire," $218.4 million."