The global box office saw several major developments over the past weekend, with new releases making waves and existing blockbusters continuing their strong runs. Bong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated sci-fi film ‘Mickey 17’ made its international debut, while China’s ‘Ne Zha 2’ reached a historic milestone.
Disney and Marvel’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ maintained its performance, and several other films saw significant movements in key markets.
‘Mickey 17’ Expands Internationally with $53.3M Total
Director Bong Joon-ho’s latest sci-fi thriller, ‘Mickey 17,’ starring Robert Pattinson, continued its expansion into international markets. After its offshore debut last week in South Korea, the film widened its release to 66 international territories. The latest weekend brought in $24.5 million from these new markets, aligning with pre-release projections. This pushed the film’s total international earnings to an estimated $34.2 million.
Including its domestic debut, ‘Mickey 17’ amassed a global weekend gross of $43.6 million, bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $53.3 million.
The film marks Bong Joon-ho’s most ambitious project since his Academy Award-winning ‘Parasite.’ It was an expensive endeavor for Warner Bros., with an estimated production budget of $120 million before marketing costs. Despite the strong opening, analysts are watching closely to see if the film can sustain its momentum to recoup its budget and turn a profit.
‘Mickey 17’ performed exceptionally well in key territories, including:
- South Korea (home market): $14.6M (running total)
- France: $2.9M (highest new market outside of Korea)
- United Kingdom: $2.7M
- Germany: $1.3M
- Mexico: $1.3M
Other markets, including Japan, Poland, and Vietnam, have yet to open, meaning additional box office boosts are expected in the coming weeks.
The film also performed well in premium formats, with IMAX earnings reaching $6.3 million, making up nearly 12% of its global total.
‘Ne Zha 2’ Makes History: First Movie to Cross $2 Billion in a Single Market
While ‘Mickey 17’ made headlines for its international launch, China’s ‘Ne Zha 2’ shattered records domestically. The highly anticipated sequel to the 2019 animated hit surpassed the $2 billion milestone in China alone, becoming the first film in history to achieve such a feat within a single market.
As of Sunday, the film’s total box office revenue in China stands at approximately RMB 14.66 billion ($2.028 billion). Including its modest overseas earnings of around $31 million, ‘Ne Zha 2’ has a worldwide gross of $2.059 billion, making it only the seventh film ever to surpass $2 billion globally.
Notably, ‘Ne Zha 2’ has now overtaken ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to claim the No. 6 spot on the all-time global box office chart. Industry forecasts suggest that the film could reach RMB 15 billion ($2.075 billion) in China alone, which would push it past ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ and place it among the top five highest-grossing films in history.
The film remains a stronghold in China, leading presales and maintaining dominant occupancy rates. Future international releases, including the UK (March 21), Japan (April 4), and Europe (TBA), could further boost its overall earnings.
IMAX screenings contributed significantly to its success, with $148 million from China and a global IMAX total of $150.6 million.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Nears $400M Worldwide
Marvel and Disney’s latest superhero entry, ‘Captain America: Brave New World,’ continued its steady run at the global box office. Over the weekend, the film added $9.2 million from 52 overseas markets, bringing its international total to $194.2 million and global earnings to $370.8 million after four weekends.
The film experienced a 53% drop internationally but held well in select markets:
- Brazil: -25% decline
- Spain: -28% decline
Top 5 Markets:
- United Kingdom: $21.2M
- Mexico: $14.5M
- China: $14.3M
- France: $12.8M
- South Korea: $11.2M
With continued audience interest and minimal competition in its genre, ‘Captain America: Brave New World‘ is expected to surpass the $400M mark globally in the coming weeks.
Additionally, The Walt Disney Studios has had a strong year so far, accumulating $994 million globally across its releases, including carryovers from ‘Mufasa,’ ‘Moana,’ and ‘A Complete Unknown.’ Disney is set to become the first studio to cross $1 billion in 2025.
Other Notable Box Office Performances
- ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the’ Boy’—The romantic comedy had another strong weekend, adding $7.9 million from 75 international markets, bringing its overseas total to $103.8 million. France’s contribution raises it to $110 million globally.
- UK: $51.1M
- Australia: $8.6M
- Netherlands: $5M
- Poland: $4.8M
- Germany: $4.1M
- ‘Wicked’—The’ musical adaptation opened in Japan with $3.7 million, ranking No. 2 behind ‘Doraemon: Nobita.’. Its performance was significantly above the opening weekends of past musical films, including ‘Wonka,’ ‘Barbie,’ and ‘Les Misérables’. The film’s global total now stands at $733.8 million.
- ” Anora’—Following its Best Picture win at the Oscars, ‘Anora’ saw a remarkable increase in box office earnings. The film generated $3.1 million (+435%) from 53 international markets, bringing its total to $18.7 million internationally and $46.2 million globally. Notable market increases include:
- Italy: +670%
- Spain: +1859%
- Mexico: +666%
- Germany: +2856%
- United Kingdom: +475%
- South Korea: +1072%
- Other Films:
- ‘Paddington in’ Peru’—$138.8M intl / $175.8M global
- ‘The Brutalist’—$29.2’ M intl / $45.1M global
- ‘Dog’ Man’—$31.2M intl / $120M global
- ‘I’m Still’ Here’—$29.3M intl / $35M global
- ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’—$252’ M intl / $487.9M global
Final Thoughts
The global box office remains vibrant, with diverse offerings captivating audiences across different regions. While ‘Mickey 17’ looks to maintain momentum, ‘Ne Zha 2’ is rewriting box office history. Meanwhile, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ and ‘Bridget Jones’ continue their steady performances. As the year progresses, upcoming releases will determine if 2025 will surpass previous box office records.
