The vfx-driven sci-fi thriller Jumper from 20 Century Fox and director Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourn Ultimatum) leaped to the top of the domestic box office last month, and has been whipping the competition overseas for three consecutive weeks. According to Daily Variety, the flick picked up another $12.8 million from 4,000 screens over the weekend, bringing its foreign take to approximately $60.4 million.
Worldwide, Jumper has grossed a healthy $127 million, despite little critical support. Catering to the young male demographic with post-summer escapist fun has paid off for the $85 million production, which should be well in the red before an inevitably strong DVD debut. The adaptation of Steven Gould’s novel boasts visual effects work by Weta Digital, Hydraulx, Digital Domain, R!OT, Pixel Playground, Lola Visual Effects and Sandbox F/X.
Sony/Columbia’s political thriller Vantage Point is also doing well in foreign markets, coming in at a close No. 2. Meanwhile, Academy Award wins have given a boost to Miramax’s No Country for Old Men and Paramount Vantage’s There Will Be Blood. Best Picture winner No Country has grossed $49.5 million in foreign markets to bring its worldwide cume to around $119 million. A Best Actor win for Daniel Day Lewis helped Blood bring in about $17 million early in its international rollout, raising its worldwide gross to $48 million.
Vfx Oscar winner The Golden Compass from New Lin Cinema continues to impress with a $10 million debut in Japan. Written off as a disappointment early in its domestic release, the movie has earned approximately $330 million worldwide so far, whith most of that coming from foreign markets. New Line, which is being absorbed into Waren Bros., also scored with the Will Ferrell basketball comedy Semi-Pro. The movie earned an estimated $15.2 million to claim the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend.
