Julia Roberts and George Clooney are back together in the romantic comedy "Ticket to Paradise," which is (surprise, surprise) winning over audiences throughout the world.
Given the difficulties that theatrical rom-coms are now facing, the film's $60 million in overseas box office earnings thus far is a good start. Naturally, it helps when the genre receives support from high-profile celebrities like Roberts and Clooney. At the same stage of each of their individual big-screen releases, recent love stories like "The Lost City," "Last Christmas," and "Crazy Rich Asians" are outperforming "Ticket to Paradise," which is supported by Universal.
"Ticket to Paradise" made $10.5 million during the weekend from 61 markets, including $1 million debuts in France, $1 million in Mexico, and $800,000 in Italy. Holdover markets for "Ticket to Paradise" include Australia ($8.5 million), the United Kingdom and Ireland ($7.4 million), and Germany ($7.4 million). The movie stars Clooney and Roberts as ex-spouses who attempt to prevent their daughter from marrying a complete stranger. In the US and Canada, it debuts on October 21.
The gorgeous period drama "Amsterdam," directed by David O. Russell, had a star-studded ensemble that included actors like Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, and Taylor Swift, but it failed at the box office with only $3.5 million from 30 markets. The movie, whose production cost Disney and 20th Century $80 million, flopped in North America as well after opening with $6.5 million. It will be challenging for "Amsterdam" to recover at the box office given the negative reviews and unfavourable word-of-mouth.
The weekend's re-release of "Avatar," which earned $3.9 million from 51 markets, allowed Disney and 20th Century to rejoice. The James Cameron sci-fi movie "Avatar" was brought back to the big screen to stunning effect by the studio in advance of the eagerly anticipated sequel "Avatar: The Way of Water," which debuts in December. The 13-year-old movie has already brought in $23.3 million in North America and $71.9 million worldwide.
But "Smile," a spooky thriller that has received excellent reviews, is the big winner this weekend. The horror film from Paramount Pictures outperformed its rivals with $17.5 million from 61 markets, a 19% increase from its first weekend. "Smile" has already made $40 million abroad and $50 million in North America, where it has dominated the box office for the past two weeks. Given the $17 million price tag for the movie, it's a devastating outcome.
"Don't Worry Darling" gained $6.1 million from 66 foreign markets elsewhere. The psychological thriller has made $30.8 million overseas and $69.3 million globally after three weeks in theatres. A $35 million production budget was allocated for it.
