‘Bob Marley: One Love’ Embraces $80M Global Bow; ‘Madame Web’ Musters $52M WW – International Box Office

UPDATED: Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love brought folks together around the world in its opening frame, singing up a sweet estimated $80M global bow. After coming on strong in early overseas play this week, and as audiences turned a deaf ear to critics, the international box office portion of that is $29M, landing well ahead of expectations.

The Reinaldo Marcus Green-directed biopic is out in 47 overseas markets and on a like-for-like basis including previews is 14% above Elvis and 12% above Rocketman for the same grouping, making it the second biggest music biopic opening behind only Bohemian Rhapsody.

Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, currently attending the BAFTA Film Awards here in London, Bob Marley: One Love opened at No. 1 in 13 markets and set new opening-day records for a music biopic in the UK and France among others. 

In Jamaica, it now holds the record for the biggest film opening of all time. 

The Top 5 markets to date are the UK (9.3M, second biggest music biopic opening), France ($5.5M), Australia ($2M), Germany ($1.8M) and Brazil ($1.8M).

Further major markets to come include Italy, Korea and Japan through March.

Meanwhile, the other new opener this session, Sony/Marvel’s Madame Web, made its overseas debut with $25.7M from 61 markets, including No. 1s in 29. That was enough to get it to an estimated $51.5M global launch, which as Anthony has noted, means the loss won’t be traumatic given Sony’s rich international TV output deals and its Netflix deal.

The UK and Mexico led all markets at $2.9M apiece. France debuted to $1.6M. Rounding out the Top 5 starts were Australia and Germany, each with $1.5M.

Still to come are Japan, China and Korea through March.

In other news, Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Heyday Films’ Wonka crossed the $600M mark worldwide, after a $7.8M frame in 74 overseas markets. The international cume is $395.1M for $605M global.

The film is especially strong in Korea where it has been No. 1 for three weeks in a row and cumed $16.3M so far. It’s already passed the lifetimes of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Minions: The Rise of Gru and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in the market.

Tops to date are the UK ($78.7M), France ($30.6M), Mexico ($27.3M), Australia ($25.8M) and Germany ($24.7M).

Tying Wonka for the overseas session, Sony’s Anyone But You added another $7.8M in 50 markets, just a 21% drop amid a Valentine’s Day bump. This lifts the offshore cume to $104.2M and global to $189M.

Tops to date are Australia ($14.4M), UK ($13.8M), Germany ($12.5M), Mexico ($7.5M) and Italy ($6.6M).

Illumination/Universal’s Migration flocked to another $7M (-2%) in 79 markets during the frame, lifting the international cume to $140M and global to $254.8M. 

In the UK, there was strong midweek uplift every day boosted by half-term school holidays. This week in the market, the film topped the lifetimes of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Lightyear, Encanto and Cruella. With $17M after three sessions, it’s performing well above Coco and Elemental at the same point.  

In Germany, Migration surpassed the lifetime of The Croods and The Jungle Book, with $19.2M through Sunday. 

Searchlight’s Poor Things, which scooped five BAFTAs on Sunday night, is nearing $100M global, with $92.3M through Sunday. The weekend added $5M in 44 markets for an international cume of $60.5M. The drop was 30% including strong holds in Brazil (+1%), Germany (-24%), Mexico (-25%), UK (-32%), Spain (-33%), Australia (-34%), and Japan (-36%). In Italy, where it won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, it is the top-grossing release of the year. The Top markets to date are the UK ($8.7M), Italy ($8M), Mexico ($4.7M), Germany ($4.5M) and France ($4.1M). Korea, notably, is on deck for March 6.

Elsewhere, China’s Lunar New Year box office came in at RMB 8.02B ($1.1B), an increase of 18.5% over 2023 (when the holiday was a day shorter) and a new record. Admissions were also up, 26.4% to 163M, perhaps reflective of lower ticket prices which fell 6.1% compared to 2023. 

Dominating play were YOLO (RMB 2.72B/$378M) through Saturday, Pegasus 2 (RMB 2.4B/$333M), Boonie Bears: Time Twist (RMB 1.39B/$193M) and Article 20 (RMB 1.34B/$186M).

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE
Argylle (UNI): $4.2M intl weekend (81 markets); $40M intl cume/$76.5M global
The Beekeeper (MIR): $2.4M intl weekend (64 markets); $83.3M intl cume/$143.8M global
Mean Girls (PAR): $2.2M intl weekend (32 markets); $30.5M intl cume/$101.7M global
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (WB): $1.2M intl weekend (70 markets); $309.8M intl cume/$433.3M global
The Holdovers (UNI): $1M intl weekend (40 markets); $19.7M intl cume/$39.7M global
All of Us Strangers (DIS): $9M intl cume/$12.9M global