Universal’s “Hobbs & Shaw” returned to first place on international box office charts, thanks to a massive $102 million debut in China.
The “Fast & Furious” spinoff, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, collected another $120 million overseas, boosting its foreign tally to $441 million. “Hobbs & Shaw” is nearing the $600 million mark globally, with ticket sales currently hovering at a sizable $588 million.
In China, “Hobbs & Shaw” set numerous records, including the biggest August opening weekend ever and the second biggest Hollywood debut of the year behind Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame.” It also marks the franchise’s second-biggest launch in the Middle Kingdom, a record still held by 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” with $184 million.
Disney’s “The Lion King” also hit a new benchmark, crossing $1.5 billion globally to become the ninth-highest grossing movie of all time. Overseas, Jon Favreau’s photorealistic remake of the animated classic is expected to surpass the $1 billion mark on Monday, which would make it only the ninth title to ever hit that milestone. The movie pulled in another $30 million this weekend, led by a $15.9 million debut in Italy.
More to come…