For the third straight week, the top international film was Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, collecting $18.5 million from 48 markets to hit a total of $235.9 million in earnings worldwide.
Surpassing the gross of Journey to the Center of the Earth, the sequel debuted in first place in Italy, in a close race with the French comedy Intouchables, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The family adventure, costarring Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) and Dwayne Johnson (Fast Five), made $13.5 million in the US, but the international market accounts for more than 67% of ticket sales around the world.
In second, Safe House, starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, took $13.6 million in 46 markets. The thriller opened in 11 territories this weekend, reaching third in the UK. Next week the action film debuts in Italy, Korea, Mexico and Indonesia.
The third place film, This Means War costarring Reese Witherspoon (Water for Elephants), Tom Hardy (Inception) and Chris Pine (Star Trek), drew $11.7 million from 41 territories. The romantic-comedy action movie about two CIA operatives competing for the same woman remained strong in Russia, scoring $3.5 million.
Ranking fourth was Chronicle, collecting $5.5 million in 38 markets. The action-sci/fi vehicle about teens with supernatural powers debuted in France in first with $3.3 million.
Fifth is the Oscar candidate The Descendants starring George Clooney, which took in another $5.3 million for a worldwide total of $156.1 million.
Notable in a somewhat soft weekend is the 3D reissue of 1999's Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, which is now the tenth film to earn more than $1 billion worldwide. The prequel in the epic franchise, starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson, brought in another $5 million this past weekend.
Other top films this weekend include The Woman In Black, a horror-thriller starring Daniel Radcliffe, for the third week in the UK, the action-thriller Contraband starring Mark Wahlberg in Australia, and In Time, the sci-fi/thriller costarring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, for the second week in Japan.
RC
