It’s back to the litter box for “Cats.” Universal’s big-screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical flamed out at the international box office, igniting with a dismal $13.6 million from 38 foreign territories.
Those ticket sales take the global tally of “Cats” to $38 million, including $17.8 million in North America. Directed by Tom Hooper, “Cats” cost $100 million, meaning it could lose some serious change for the studio.
Korea led the way overseas, pulling in $5 million from 470 locations. Australia ($1.17 million) and Germany ($1 million) were the only other markets to crack the million-dollar mark, placing “Cats” in fourth and seventh place on box office charts, respectively. The only major territories left to open are Russia (Jan. 2), Japan (Jan. 24) and Italy (Feb. 20).
Among new movies, Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” launched with $6.3 million from the United Kingdom and Spain. In the U.K., Sony’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s literary classic kicked off with $4.6 million. “Little Women” has generated $29 million to date in North America, bringing its global haul to $35.3 million. The $40 million movie — starring Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson and Laura Dern — continues its gradual international rollout next in Australia, France and Brazil.
Another newcomer, Disney-Fox’s animated adventure “Spies in Disguise,” debuted to $16 million from 32 international markets, representing roughly 50% of its foreign footprint. Combined with its $22 million start in the U.S., the film has generated $29 million worldwide. Mexico saw the strongest start with $2.3 million, followed by France with $2.2 million, the U.K. with $1.9 million and Germany with $1.2 million. The family-friendly film, set in the world of international espionage, features the voices of Tom Holland and Will Smith.
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Disney’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” hit a new benchmark, crossing $725 million worldwide after 12 days in theaters. The third and final chapter in the sequel trilogy collected $94.3 million from 52 markets this weekend, boosting international box office receipts to $363 million. “Rise of Skywalker” has enjoyed the biggest showings in the U.K. ($51.4 million), Germany ($44.1 million) and France ($34.7 million). Globally, it’s already the 10th-biggest movie of the year.
In other box office milestones, Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” is readying to smash the $500 million milestone globally as ticket sales reached $472 million this weekend. Abroad, the Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart-led sequel has amassed $296 million and is now a stone’s throw from hitting the $300 million mark. “Jumanji” beat out “Rise of Skywalker” for the top spot in a handful of new markets, including Australia ($9.6 million) and Italy ($6.7 million).
“Frozen 2” also continues to dazzle audiences, earning $1.21 billion worldwide to become the third-biggest animated movie in history. The sequel pulled in $42 million from 53 international territories this weekend, boosting its international bounty to $796 million. Since opening around Thanksgiving, “Frozen 2” has already solidified its place as the third-highest grossing movie of the year worldwide.
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