"Mummy" unwraps another overseas victory

By Frank Segers

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" triumphed at the international box office for a second consecutive weekend, earning an estimated $56.1 million from 49 territories.

The China-set adventure thriller has racked up an overseas haul so far of $141.1 million, almost double the domestic tally of $70.7 million in the same period. Finishing No. 1 in 16 of 22 new territories, "Mummy" racked up notably muscular debut tallies in France ($5 million), Germany ($6.6 million) and Taiwan ($3.6 million).

"Mummy" easily bested the weekend's No. 2 title, "The Dark Knight," which registered $35.1 million from 56 markets. The latest Batman adventure has grossed $263.1 million overseas so far, a sum far outpaced by its domestic total of $441.5 million.

"Dark Knight" opened at No. 1 in South Korea, garnering $6.9 million over five days. In Japan, it debuted at No. 2 -- behind local animation title "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" -- with $3 million. The film opens this week in Spain, France and Russia, and in Germany on August 21.

The weekend's No. 3 title, "WALL-E," enjoyed an $18.1 million weekend from 28 territories, including a first-place $4.7 million bow in Spain. Its international total is $121.6 million.

At No. 4, "Mamma Mia!" continued like gangbusters overseas with a weekend take of $14.7 million from 24 markets. The overseas total is $173.4 million (versus $104 million domestic).

Starring Meryl Streep and featuring an array of ABBA songs, "Mamma Mia!" remains very strong in the U.K., where it ranked No. 3 in its fifth weekend with $5.6 million for a 31-day market total of $77.8 million. Universal expects "Mamma Mia!" will soon overtake "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" as the U.K.'s biggest 2008 grosser.

Fifth was "Kung Fu Panda," which racked up $8 million from 60 territories, pushing its overseas total to $347.5 million.

Other foreign totals: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," $461.5 million; "Hancock," $332.1 million; "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," $253.7 million; "Sex and the City," $236.3 million; "Wanted," $120.6 million; "The Happening," $94.8 million; and "Get Smart," $73.6 million.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter