LA, Sept 23: The seasonal slowdown of the overseas box office -- as it awaits the deluge of year-end blockbusters -- did not stop "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" from notching its sixth consecutive weekend as the No. 1 title in the market. Absent new openings, the Johnny Depp juggernaut pulled in $20 million from strong holdovers in 46 markets, taking its foreign total to $270.5 million. "Pirates," which beat the five-week, top-of-the-market stand this year of "The Matrix Reloaded" (total to date: $453.4 million), appears likely to exceed $300 million by the end of its run.
By dint of 10 new bows (including the United Kingdom, France and Russia), the crime thriller "The Italian Job" was the distant runner-up this session with $7.1 million in 21 countries, followed by "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," "American Pie: The Wedding" and "Bad Boys II," each checking in with about $4.2 million.
The weekend haul for "Pirates" included a third-weekend take in Germany of $3.6 million for a market total of $25.9 million; second week in Australia, $2.3 million (market total: $6.9 million; third in Italy, $1.9 million (market total: $15.5 million; seventh in United Kingdom, $1.4 million (market total: $39.5 million; and eighth in Japan, $1.1 million (market total: $53 million).

"Italian Job" heisted $3.1 million in the United Kingdom, which helped raise the international total to $23.8 million. In its first offshore exposure, "Matchstick Men" kicked off rather poorly with an estimated $1.9 million from eight territories, led by just $918,705 in France. In Germany, where the box office was said to be down 50% because of unseasonably hot weather, "Matchstick" ignited only $473,165; in the United Kingdom, where the weather was also blamed, the Nicolas Cage caper grossed an estimated $85,084 from a limited 10-screen release in London's West End. The results in Argentina were called good, with an estimated $65,478.

In its final overseas bow, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" pulled in $2.6 million in Italy, delivering a weekend gross of $3.3 million from 34 markets for an international gross of $267.5 million.

More weekend action: "Bruce Almighty" rose to $214.5 million overseas; "Finding Nemo" went up to $84.4 million; "S.W.A.T.," still playing in smaller Asian countries, has reached $3.3 million; "Identity" has hit $18.1 million; and "Daddy Day Care" is at $45.3 million.

Bureau Report