It wasn’t just Pennywise’s signature red balloons that inflated this weekend. Warner Bros. and New Line’s “It: Chapter Two” jolted ticket sales at the international box office, collecting $94 million in 75 foreign markets.
Combined with a $91 million start in North America, the R-rated horror sequel has generated $185 million worldwide, only ranking behind “It” as the second-biggest debut in history for the genre. “It: Chapter Two” also secured the best opening weekend for a horror film in 16 territories, including Russia, Holland, Norway, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.
Outside of the United States, “It: Chapter Two” had the strongest showing in Mexico with $10.2 million, followed by the United Kingdom with $9.4 million and Russia with $8.8 million. Other top territories include Germany with $7.1 million and Italy with $5.5 million. The movie opens in France later this week, followed by Japan in November.
Andy Muschietti returned to direct the culmination to Stephen King’s epic horror novel. “It: Chapter Two” — starring Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader and Isaiah Mustafa as the adult version of the Losers’ Club — picks up 27 years after the terrifying clown known as Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard) wrecked havoc over Derry, Maine. When the sewer-dwelling, shapeshifting demon resurfaces, the gang returns to their hometown to fend off the evil force one last time.
International moviegoers who weren’t looking for a fright turned to Universal’s “Hobbs & Shaw.” The “Fast & Furious” spinoff generated another $15 million from 69 foreign markets, lifting overseas ticket sales to $555.5 million. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, the high-octane thrill ride recently crossed $700 million globally, with box office receipts currently at $719 million. As expected, “Hobbs & Shaw” has been a massive hit in China with $184 million to date.
Elsewhere, Sony and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” amassed $13 million from 59 territories for an international bounty of $176.2 million. The R-rated ode to the movie biz has earned $310 million worldwide, on its way to passing “Inglorious Bastards” ($321 million) as the director’s second-most successful movie. “Django Unchained” remains Tarantino’s highest-grossing film with $425 million globally.
Tarantino titles typically have a strong showing in Europe, and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is no exception. The film’s strongest markets include the U.K. ($22.6 million), France ($17.9 million), Russia ($17.7 million) and Germany ($15.2 million).
Disney’s “The Lion King” had an equally promising showing overseas, pocketing another $13.4 million from 50 markets. The hyperrealistic remake, directed by Jon Favreau, now stands as the seventh-biggest movie ever both globally (1.599 billion) and internationally ($1.069 billion). China ranks as the top-earning territory with $120 million, followed by the U.K. with $89.9 million and France with $77.9 million.