The 3D rerelease of Steven Spielberg‘s 1993 sci-fi classic “Jurassic Park” was No. 1 at the international box office this weekend.
It brought in $30 million from 11 foreign markets for Universal. In the process, it raised its international total to $44.5 million and its worldwide haul to nearly $90 million.
"Jurassic Park 3D" opened No. 1 in China on Tuesday and has taken in $28 million since. The film also opened in Bolivia, Mexico, Panama, Spain, Trinidad and the U.K. and Ireland this weekend. It has eight more territories to open, including Germany on Sept. 5.
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The original “Jurassic Park,” which never played in China, was a bona fide blockbuster when it came out, bringing in $970 million worldwide. It topped another Spielberg film, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” to become the highest-grossing film up to that time. Two sequels followed, "The Lost World" in 1997 and "Jurassic Park 3" in 2001. In all, the franchise has taken in more than $1.9 billion at the worldwide box office.
Universal had more good news from abroad. “Despicable Me 2,” which it produced with Illumination Entertainment, took in nearly $11 million from 51 markets this weekend. That pushed it past the $800 million mark (It’s at $805 million) and established it as the highest-grossing animated film of the year and seventh-highest ever.
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It’s Universal’s most profitable film in the studio’s 101 year history and the studio’s second highest grossing film worldwide ever, behind “Jurassic Park.”
Elsewhere overseas, with a weekend take of $5.2 million and an international total of $227.2 million, "The Wolverine" now becomes the highest-grossing film of the X-Men franchise, surpassing the previous leader, "X-Men: The Last Stand," which brought in $225 million in 2006. It has three markets to go, including Japan on Sept. 13.
Sony’s sci-fi movie “Elysium” just beat out Disney’s animated “Monsters University” for the No. 2 spot.
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The Matt Damon-Jodie Foster action film added $20 million from 48 markets this weekend to up its foreign total to $70 million and its global take to $139 million.
“Monsters University” was just behind it with $19.6 million from 55 territories and has now taken in nearly $425 million overseas. The global total for the Pixar family film is $686 million.
With $18.4 million from 44 markets, Fox’s “Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters” wasn’t far behind and upped its foreign total to $62.6 million and its worldwide total to $111 million.
Warner Bros.’ low-budget horror film “The Conjuring” was just behind that with $17.7 million from 38 markets, and has now topped $220 million globally.