SPRI nears $2bn milestone, New Moon expected to rule overseas
Summit International's New Moon enters the weekend on around $270m as the favourite to dominate the international arena, however Sony deserves to take the plaudits as it prepares to cross $2bn overseas
Sony's current international tally stood at $1.987bn as of December 2 and another strong hold for 2012 (pictured) will push it over the threshold, making this only the fifth time a studio has crossed $2bn after Paramount in 2008, Warner Bros in 2007 and 2004, and 20th Century Fox in 2006.
Worldwide through December 2 Sony Pictures Entertainment releases had amassed $3.357bn, overhauling the studio's previous best of $3.334bn. Roland Emmerich's disaster movie 2012 stands at more than $460m and will cross $500m by the end of its run. It opens in South Africa and Argentina this weekend.
Sony Pictures Releasing International also opens Planet 51 in Germany, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs in Spain, and Zombieland in Australia and New Zealand.
Fox International will almost certainly cross the $2bn mark later this month for the second time in its history following the release of Avatar. Its international receipts currently stand at $1.8bn.
Meanwhile New Moon, which has grossed more than half a billion dollars worldwide in two weeks, opens in eight new markets including South Korea and Singapore.
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International's Up may cross $400m this weekend with a launch set for Japan. The latest international running total puts it on more than $381.5m.
A Christmas Carol has taken more than $93.9m and will sweep past $100m this weekend through solid holdovers and the debut in Italy.
G-Force touches down in South Korea on December 2 and Old Dogs opens in Russia and Spain.
Warner Bros Pictures International's martial arts release Ninja Assassin opens in Russia, Italy and Holland.
UPI's Universal/UPI's comedy Couples Retreat on $40.2m has 36 territories to go and arrives this weekend in Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, Singapore and Thailand. Broken Embraces opens in Brazil and Taking Woodstock debuts in Mexico.
Paramount/PPI's Case 39 on $7.5m opens in Mexico and Hong Kong.
Fox International's Fantastic Mr Fox on $14.4m opens in Mexico and Brazil and Spanish Movie arrives in Spain, appropriately enough.
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