“Star Trek Beyond” sci-fi tops international box office

PanARMENIAN.Net - Paramount’s “Star Trek Beyond” has scored back-to-back wins at the international box office, beaming down a moderate $16.6 million for the weekend, Variety reports.

The 13th movie in the “Star Trek” franchise has hit $161.5 million overseas, or about $5 million more than the domestic total. “Star Trek Beyond” easily led the previous weekend, thanks to a $31 million launch in China.

It joins “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which took in $232 million in the U.S. and $234 million internationally — the first time that the foreign total topped the domestic.

“Star Trek Beyond” narrowly topped South Korean title “Mil Jeong” (“Age of Shadows”), which dominated that market with $16 million on 1,444 screens in its opening for more than an 80% share of the top 5 films. It’s a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation of a Grimm Pictures and Warner Bros. Korea production in association with Harbin Films.

Illumination-Universal’s “The Secret Life of Pets” finished a close third with $15.1 million in 56 territories, lifting its international total to $427.2 million and its worldwide figure to $789 million. “Pets” opened No. 1 in Australia with $5.8 million, including last week’s previews, with a 30% market share.

The animated hit has four more markets: New Zealand on Sept. 15; Poland Sept. 23; South Africa Sept. 30; and Italy on Oct. 6.

Warner Bros.’ supervillain tentpole “Suicide Squad” finished fourth with $10.1 million from 5,800 screens in 64 territories, bringing the international total to $392 million. The worldwide box office is nearly $700 million.

Japan led the way with an opening of $3.6 million at 681 locations for a second-place finish behind a local animated title. The results were on par with “Deadpool” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

Sony’s shark adventure “The Shallows” followed in fifth with $9.6 million in 56 markets, bringing the international total for the Blake Lively project to $55 million — about equal to the U.S. total.

“The Shallows” edged Warner’s international release of “Sully,” which took in $9.5 million at 3,600 screens in 39 international markets, led by $2.3 million in Australia. It generated the top opening for an Eastwood film in Russia with $925,000 on 882 screens.