Peter Berg’s military vs aliens actioner from Universal Pictures made the milestone in its first 10 days of international release. Through this Sunday Battleship‘s first 12-day total should reach $126.7M in its first 10 days of international release. The pressure is on for the film to do well in the 50 territories where it’s now open — including China and Russia — because of its advance bad buzz and very expensive budget. (The studio claims the cost was $209M while outside sources say $250M.) Battleship doesn’t open in the U.S./Canada until May 18th because the studio set a strategy to open overseas first. This weekend it debuted in another 24 territories and should gross $56M for the weekend. It was #1 opener in 16 territories this week bringing the film’s total Number One openings overseas to 37 in the last two weeks:
– It opened #1 in Russia Thursday with $2.1 million and dominated the box office there with 78% of market share. Friday’s gross is $2.2M with a 2-day total estimate of $4.3M (LC 126.4M) — better than both Thor and Iron Man but also helped by a big theater-building push there.
– In Ukraine, Battleship also opened to #1 and was Universal’s biggest opener in history in that territory.
– In China, Battleship gave Universal its largest opening in history on Wednesday where the film grossed $3M on opening day and has gone on to make $8.2M (LC50M) in three days — more than Fast Five (LC43M).
– Battleship held the #1 spot during Week 2 in Germany, Austria, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It had very strong holds in Australia and Japan.
Universal has 14 more territories to open including Israel on May 3, South Africa on May 4, and Latin America starting on May 10.
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.


I’m still reeling that Universal actually thinks anyone believes their claim that the picture cost was 209 mil.
I think Universal made a BIG mistake releasing this movie overseas first. I have already seen what people think of the movie and all of the plotlines, so now I can just wait for it to be available on Netflix.
At least Universal won’t have to write off as much as Disney did. It’s not a good film at all but it will do better business everywhere when all is said and done.
So what do we think the final overseas gross will be?
eh not really
look at 2012 only made 166 million domestically but made over 600 million overseas
They probably need to get to $350 million overseas. With $200 domestic, they should be fine.
Global audiences have no taste. There, I said it. It being what we’re all thinking when we see the global grosses on one shit tentpole after the next.
And Americans have. LOL…
oh here we go again with this stupid statement.
you know it all don’t you?
go get another coffee for your boss.
Justin is correct, releasing overseas was a mistake. It gave the pirates a jump on the domestic release. It was all over the torrent sites this week. Each day brought a new better copy. At least (most of the time) releasing domestic first gives the studios 1 good weekend without boots hitting the net.
Justin, what plotlines? It’s a movie based on a board game. What possible spoiler could ruin your enjoyment?
JJ – your point is about ten years late. At the very least 5 or 6.
Yes because the $440+ million domestic haul for Transformers 2 proves US audiences are much smarter?! As does the success of all those awful Tyler Perry movies?!
My point is there are idiots everywhere, don’t go making sweeping statements about audiences abroad when the evidence doesn’t back it up.
Has anyone here moaning about Battleship actually seen it? I thought it was surprisingly entertaining!
Yesitsme – well I saw it and thought it was what I expected.
A Transformers wannabe that has zero style or substance with most of it’s money shots stolen from Bay or Emmerich and dialogue that would make The Expendables look like Shakespeare. Let’s not even start on the acting of the cast or the attempts at meaningful patriotism. By the end it was laugh out loud stuff.
In short, Berg just proved he can’t make a better mindless explodathon than Bay or Emmerich can. They can pull this off – he can’t. The problem is his own ego probably leads him to believe he has (based on interviews I’ve seen him give) done just that but he should maybe go back to TV again and stay there.
I saw this movie here in Australia on the weekend. I had read the negative reviews and decided to see it anyway. I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone says, but they should be marketing it as an action / comedy. Pretty funny and visually interesting.
Hears hoping it at least breaks even. The industry suffers across the board when one of the majors has a big write-down, and Disney’s already endured that fate. If “Battleship” fails to recoup its costs too, then there’s just that many fewer projects getting green-lit.
Hope Sony can get “Spiderman” traction as well.
Heard the acting was terrible. They used Rihanna to sell this movie which they said was the worst actor. If I want to see it that bad I’ll buy $5.00 bootleg here in the US. Thanks to all the reviews from overseas.
Wow, what a gamble on Universal’s part. A whole month? If it tanks or generates bad buzz, it’ll kill the U.S. release. The previews make it look like a combo of Battle: Los Angeles and Transformers.