MUMBAI: After logging its biggest overseas weekend to date grossing $95.2 million from 14,131 venues in 64 markets, 20th Century Fox‘s Ice Age: Continental Drift reclaimed the No. 1 foreign box office position as it out-did The Amazing Spider-Man.
The Blue Sky Studio‘s sequel is the fourth title in the increasingly remunerative computer animation franchise that has grossed $1.918 billion worldwide over the last 10 years.
Continental Drift‘s weekend was the third best ever for the franchise and the film‘s foreign gross total stands at $339.2 million accumulated since 25 June exceeding the figure of $270.1 millionof Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted.
Driving its weekend box office action were openings in 18 markets including a powerful No. 1 debut in Russia where the film generated an astounding $16.4 million at 2,090 sites, the biggest market opening weekend of the year. The UK came up with $9.1 million from 1,246 spots for a market total of of $20.8 million.
The film took the top spot in its second Germany with $12.4 million at 1,214 play dates for a total of $33.6 million. In France, it remained No. 1 with $7 million generated at 1,019 spots for a market cume of $34.3 million. In all, the animation title ranked No. 1 in at least 30 territories.
The weekend‘s No. 2, Sony‘s The Amazing Spider-Man — fourth in the blockbuster series, that has racked up $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office generated $66.6 million at 16,575 venues in 87 markets, for a foreign gross total accumulated since June 27 of $320.4 million.
Unlike Continental Drift, the film premiered in several medium-to-small markets including Norway, South Africa, Greece, Hungary, Czech Republic and Romania. Spider-Man retained No. 1 holds in such larger territories as Mexico (cume $19.6 million), Brazil ($17.5 million) and India ($13.3 million). Top territory was the U.K. where it took the weekend‘s No. 2 spot with $6 million drawn from 911 situations for market cume of $29.5 million.
The overseas numbers posted by The Amazing Spider-Man and Ice Age: Continental Drift strengthen the odds that the “big six” Hollywood majors will set another foreign box office record in calendar year 2012. The current yearly high-water mark was set last year when the companies collectively drew $13.6 billion from the offshore theatrical circuit.
Tag: Spider-man
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Ice Age: Continental drift is No. 1 at overseas box office
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Spider-Man director Marc Webb interested in film sequel
MUMBAI Going by the success of The Amazing Spider-Man, director Marc Webb has evinced interest in creating a totally new adversary for the web-slinger.
“I do think it would be tricky to totally invent a major villain, but if I did that it would be The Mime,” Web has reportedly said. “My big contribution would be a villain called The Mime.”Insisting that he was kidding, the director said that the character‘s history is so rich with foes that whoever directs a sequel will have plenty of interesting ones to choose from. “I think you have to be pretty protective of the canon when it comes to villains,” he observed. “And Spider-Man has a great rogues gallery, so there‘s a lot to choose from,” he added.
Meanwhile, Webb said that he feels like the combination of proven story points and new ideas will allow a sequel to depart from iterations of the hero that audiences saw previously. “I wanted to create a universe that works in and of itself for one movie, but I wanted to create a universe that not only can withstand but anticipate future storylines,” he quipped.
Webb also said that he derived his approach to the film from the one employed by artistes and writers to the comic book itself. “That‘s something I love about the comics — the serialized nature of them,” he averred. “And then certain storylines we‘ll pick up and characters that we‘ll expand upon, but it‘s all part of the mythology that we spent a lot of time developing early on,” he ended.
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Spider-Man set to captivate from 3 July
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures India is gearing up to release The Amazing Spider-Man (3D) across theatres in India on 3 July.
Focusing on an untold story that tells a different side of the Peter Parker story, the film stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Irrfan Khan with Martin Sheen and Sally Field.
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field).
Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets.
As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner.
As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
The film has been directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt is based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
The film has been produced by Laura Ziskin, Avi Arad, and Matt Tolmach in association with Marvel Entertainment for Columbia Pictures.
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Cartoon Network, Graphic India, POW! Entertainment get together for Chakra: The Invincible
MUMBAI: Cartoon Network, Graphic India and POW! Entertainment have announced a partnership that will bring to life Stan Lee’s first ever Indian superhero. The legendary writer is the co-creator of the world’s most popular superheroes including Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Hulk, The Avengers, and many others. The movie, entitled Chakra: The Invincible, will premiere on Cartoon Network on Saturday, 30 November at 12pm.
Talking about his first ever Indian superhero Stan Lee said, “I am incredibly excited to be collaborating with my friends at Graphic India as we launch this great new, thrill-a-minute superhero saga named, Chakra: The Invincible, on Cartoon Network.”
Brimming with enthusiasm he added, “The incredible story of Chakra, one of my latest and most exciting superhero creations, promises to captivate audiences in India and around the world with his adventures.”
Chakra: The Invincible tells the story of Raju Rai, a young Indian boy living in Mumbai. Raju and his mentor, the scientist Dr. Singh, develop a technology suit that activates the mystical chakras of the body. When Raju dons the suit, he discovers superpowers and vows to use his newfound abilities to protect and serve. Using his amazing powers, Chakra must save the city and the world from super villains!
Commenting on this partnership, Turner International senior director & network head – kids, south Asia Krishna Desai said, “We are thrilled to announce this partnership and to have the pleasure of working with one of the world’s greatest legends – and my favourite real-life superhero, Stan Lee. Chakra: The Invincible is a part of Turner’s continuing efforts to entertain kids and families across India with new and exciting characters and stories. We are certain that Chakra will be added to the long list of world renowned characters from both Stan Lee and Cartoon Network.”
“What a great opportunity to expand Stan’s global brand by introducing Chakra as our first Indian superhero, and who better to partner with than Sharad Devarajan and Graphic India, as well as Cartoon Network,” said POW! Entertainment CEO/president Gill Champion.
“The opportunity to work with Stan Lee to create Chakra: The Invincible is the culmination of a lifelong dream, made that much more rewarding by partnering with the amazing team at Cartoon Network,” added Graphic’s co-founder & CEO, Sharad Devarajan, who is also the director and executive producer of the animated film.
“Stan Lee is one of the most prolific storytellers in the world, and in the same way his previous characters are known by nearly every man, woman and child on the planet, we believe Chakra will captivate audiences from Boston to Beijing to Bangalore!”
Graphic India SVP creative Jeevan J. Kang has overseen the visual development and also created the character designs and art for the project working closely with Lee and Devarajan to bring Chakra’s story to life.
In addition to the partnership with Cartoon Network, Graphic India recently announced that Chakra: The Invincible has also been selected as part of a group of content partners to soon be featured on Angry Birds creator, Rovio Entertainment’s new ToonsTV platform, reaching audiences around the world.
Beyond animation, Graphic India will also be launching the character in a series of digital and print comic books and graphic novels as well as through toys and merchandise.