The Scarlett Johansson-Morgan Freeman sci-fi thriller “Lucy” is proving super-human brainpower is a concept that translates globally — in a big way.
Written and directed by Luc Besson, “Lucy” added $13 million this weekend to raise its foreign total to $253 million and more than $378 million worldwide. That’s not bad for a movie with a $40 million production budget.
Universal’s share of the foreign total — Besson’s EuropaCorp is handling it in several European markets and Hong Kong — is nearly $200 million.
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The biggest market for the film, in which Johannson’s character develops superhuman brain power, has been Besson’s home country of France, where it has grossed more than $39 million.
Fox’s “The Maze Runner” was the No. 1 movie overseas this weekend, opening at No. 1 in 44 countries and bringing in $37.6 million.
The international total for the adaptation of James Dashner’s young adult bestseller is now $49 million and its global haul is up to $81.5 million – more than double its $34 million budget.
The film, which has been slowly rolling out overseas, topped the debuts of another recent young adult movie, “Divergent,” in key markets for the second consecutive week, Fox said. Its best openings were in South Korea ($5.5 million), Russia ($5.5 million) and Hong Kong ($1.5 million). And it held the top spot in Australia ($3.3 million), Brazil ($2 million) and Mexico ($2 million).
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Meanwhile, Fox’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” became the second U.S. film this year to top $100 million in China. The sequel has now brought in more than $476 million from overseas and $681 million worldwide. “Transformers: Age of Extinction” brought in more than $300 million in China this summer.