Disney-Fox’s “Dark Phoenix” failed to rise in North America, but the latest “X-Men” saga looks off to a slightly better start overseas, where it earned $107 million from 53 international markets.
Combined with a disastrous $33 million at the domestic box office, “Dark Phoenix” had a global debut of $140 million. The $200 million movie will have to rely heavily on foreign territories to turn a profit.
“Dark Phoenix,” directed by Simon Kinberg and starring Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, and Michael Fassbender, saw the biggest start in China, earning $45.6 million. Other top territories include Korea with $5.7 million, Mexico with $5 million, and the United Kingdom with $4.9 million.
“Dark Phoenix” also flew above “The Secret Life of Pets 2” on international box office charts, though Universal and Illumination’s animated sequel is open in fewer territories. The follow-up to 2016’s “The Secret Life of Pets 2” continued its overseas rollout, pocketing $16 million from 30 foreign markets. It has now collected $49 million overseas, along with $47 million in North America for a worldwide bounty of $97 million. The original film became a surprise hit, earning $875 million globally.
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“The Secret Life of Pets 2” debuted in 21 new markets this weekend, including the Netherlands with $1.7 million, Vietnam with $1.3 million, and Italy with $1.1 million.
Among holdovers, Disney’s “Aladdin” generated another $67.6 million from 55 international territories, pushing its overseas tally to $372.5 million. Globally, the live-action musical reboot has earned $604 million. “Aladdin” opened this weekend in Japan with $12.9 million, marking the biggest opening of 2019 for a Hollywood movie in that territory.
Warner Bros. and Legendary’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” added another $47 million from 78 markets, propelling overseas ticket sales to $213.7 million. The monster sequel has amassed $292 million globally.
Meanwhile, Paramount’s “Rocketman” grossed $13 million from 50 territories, bringing its international box office receipts to $51 million.
Elsewhere, it looks like James Cameron might retain his title as box office king after all. “Avengers: Endgame” collected another $8.6 million globally this weekend, taking its worldwide bounty to $2.73 billion. If Marvel’s superhero epic continues at this pace, it’s unlikely it will take down “Avatar’s” $2.78 billion record.