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29 March 2024

Johnny Depp cartoon "Rango" leads foreign box office

Cast member Johnny Depp, who voices the titular character "Rango", arrives at the premiere of the animated film in Los Angeles, California. (REUTERS)

Published
By Reuters

Not even Johnny Depp can shake the foreign box office from its torpor so far this year.

His new cartoon "Rango" opened at No. 1 internationally, mirroring its North American result, but with a less-than-lofty gross of $16.5 million drawn from 33 markets. (Its $38 million bow in the United States and Canada fell a tad short of expectaions.)

No first-place box office title this year has logged an opening weekend gross of more than $27 million overseas. As a result, foreign sales for the six big American studios through February collectively dipped 31% from 2010 (when "Avatar" was roaring through its offshore release).

A droll animation western directed by Gore Verbinski, with the title character voiced by his "Pirates of the Caribbean" cohort, "Rango" boasted of No. 1 openings in the U.K. and Ireland ($3.1 million), Mexico ($2.7 million), Spain ($1.9 million) and Argentina ($450,000). It opens this week in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Italy.

"Black Swan" placing a close second with $15.6 million from 45 markets on the heels of its Oscar win last weekend for star Natalie Portman. Its overseas total stands at $147.6 million.

Last week's foreign champion, "I Am Number Four," fell to No. 3 with $12 million drawn from 26 territories. Nearly a quarter of its $42 million foreign haul comes from China with $9.4 million.

Matt Damon's "The Adjustment Bureau" came in at No. 4 with $10.5 million from 21 markets. In addition to opening at No. 2 in North America, it took the silver in the U.K. ($2.4 million) and Australia ($1.9 million). The top film in Australia, with $2 million, was the new comedy "Hall Pass." "Bureau" debuts in 10 foreign territories this week, including Germany.

"True Grit," which went zero for 10 at the Oscars, delivered $8 million from 57 territories hoisting the foreign total for the Coen brothers' Western update to $61 million. Of that number, $7.1 million comes from France.