THE GOLDEN COMPASS may have had a disappointing box office bow in North America, but it seems to be doing much better in foreign territories. With 5,000 playdates in 25 territories, the film earned $55-million – more than twice its U.S. take. With that kind of business, COMPASS could take in $200-million or more, which should prevent it from being box office flop for New Line; however, Variety warns that the production company financed the budget with foreign pre-sales, which means their returns on foreign ticket sales are “mostly capped.” Whether the profits will be enough to justify a sequel, is still an open question.
As for other fantasy films in foreign engagements…
- ENCHANTED: $11.6-million weekend, $35-million total
- BEE MOVIE: $10.1-million weekend, $32.7-million total
- BEOWULF: $9.2-million, $168-million total
- FRED CLAUS: $4.3-million weekend, $13.6-million total