Beowulf from Shangri-La Ent. and Paramount Pictures proved to be the biggest stereoscopic 3-D release to date as it dominated the box office worldwide. Director Robert Zemeckis’s performance-capture fantasy flick earned roughly 40% of its $27 million domestic weekend gross from 740 screens equipped for digital 3D projection, while 13% came from 84 IMAX 3-D screens. The film also represents Zemeckis’ third highest domestic opening after What Lies Beneath and Castaway.
On the same day it hit theaters in North America, the movie bowed in select markets in Asia and Europe, taking in $17 million over the weekend. Nearly $3 million of that came from 156 IMAX 3-D and digital 3-D screens. Beowulf conquered virtually every Asian market, opening at No. 1 in Korea ($3.8 million) Taiwan ($890,000) Thailand ($756,000) Hong Kong ($546,000), Malaysia ($373,000), Indonesia ($341,000) and Singapore ($538,000). In Taiwan and Thailand, the flick grabbed a 75% share of the top five films in each market.
In Europe, Beowulf nabbed $4.5 in the U.K., $2.2 in Italy and $2.1 million in Germany. It also opened at No. 1 in Austria, earning around $319,000. It rolls out today in France and Belgium, with Russia, Holland, Spain, Mexico, Australia and Brazil coming online in the next few days. Moveigoers in Japan will be able to see it on Dec. 1.
Based on the first published work of fiction in the English language, Beowulf was created with Sony Pictures Imagework’s patented performance-capture technology, which transferred the movements of Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright Penn, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, Angelina Jolie and other actors to realistic CG models. Jerome Chen served as senior visual effects supervisor.
