February 9-11, 2001
(Grosses in millions)

Around the World Round Up
by Kenan Bresnan

Just as the original Hannibal sacked ancient Rome, so did the new Hannibal conquer Italy this past weekend. And he didn't need any elephants to do it.

Launched on the same day in Italy as in the U.S., Hannibal devoured $4.6 million in three days. That's an all-time record for an American movie, narrowly surpassing The Blair Witch Project (both of which handled by the same distributor Filmauro). This number is significantly ahead of all the major 2000 U.S. hits, including Cast Away, Meet the Parents, Mission: Impossible 2, and the ancient Rome epic Gladiator. Furthermore, Dr. Lecter's return was only about $60,000 shy of the overall opening-weekend record, held by homegrown comedy Fireworks. Half of the film was shot in Florence, where the gore caused four women to faint.

Mel Gibson didn't weather the treacherous Alps quite as well, as What Women Want bowed in second. However, its $2.1 million take was still quite strong.

In France, Le Verite Si Je Mens! 2 grabbed an extraordinary $11.3 million in five days; the second highest in the market's history. Le Pacte des Loups, dropped down to second for a spectacular total of over $17 million. Throw in a solid fourth place finish for Le Placard in its fourth week, and it's a veritable Gaulic renaissance as the local fare scored a rare commanding victory over the Americans.

Scooping up $10.3 million from 29 countries, Cast Away lifted its foreign total to $110.3 million. Its stellar scores include South Korea's $3.4 million in just ten days, Hong Kong's $2.3 million in 19 days, Germany's $22.7 million, the United Kingdom's $17.7 million, Italy's $11.3 million, and Australia's $8.5 million. About the only place it's not doing well is France where it only has $7 million.

Surprising everybody, except Sony execs, Vertical Limit's $8.3 million from 46 countries vaulted it past the century mark. The K2 action-adventure hauled in $987,000 in its opening weekend in Brazil and $3.3 million from 286 in 10 days from Spain. Look for a similar final tally as Sony stable-mate and fellow domestic under-performer Hollow Man ($115-130 million).

Unbreakable conjured up $6.5 million, sending its foreign total soaring to $122.6 million. In Japan, the Bruce Willis thriller raked in $4 million from 250 screens. It also opened in Poland with a great $323,000 on 65. Both were Disney's second-biggest bow in each market, behind another Willis spectacle Armageddon.

102 Dalmatians raced to $63 million from a $8.2 million weekend seeking its $64 million domestic tally and the century mark for the international market after it unspools in Japan on March 10. The Disney flick fetched $2.4 million from 671 in Germany, $944,000 on 230 in Spain, $527,000 on 75 in Belgium, and $489,000 from 80 in Austria. In all cases comfortably beating the original picture's opening weekends.

Jay Roach's comedy whistled up nearly $1.1 million from 230 screens in Mexico and a spectacular $4.6 million in 10 days in the Hannibal flooded Italy. Meet the Parents foreign haul has topped $110 million.

The blow from domestic disappointment Proof of Life's $80 million cost could eventually be alleviated internationally. The Meg Ryan/Russell Crowe affair got off to a fantastic start in Taiwan, grossing $1.1 million from 52 screens.

After a so-so beginning in the Latin American markets, Disney's The Emperor's New Groove is hitting high notes in Scandinavia, notching $346,000 in Sweden and taking pole position in Norway with $227,000 on 64 screens and in Denmark.

Winding down a so-so run, Me, Myself & Irene grossed a blah $233,000 from 144 screens in Japan. Foreign total stands at $56.3 million, compared to its $90.6 million domestic take. Jim Carrey in general hasn't been translating well overseas, as How the Grinch Stole Christmas' $80 million was just a fraction of its domestic dominating $260 million.

Brandon Gray contributed to this report.