‘Mai’: 3388 Films Acquires Vietnam Box Office Record-Breaker; Sets North America/Europe Theatrical Release

EXCLUSIVE: Chantal in Fairyland (Chantal im Märchenland) is off to a fantastic start at the German box office. A spinoff of the hugely successful Fack Ju Göhte comedies, the Constantin Film title banked the best Easter holiday launch day ever for a local movie and the best opening day of the year for all films, teeing it up for a strong debut session.

Twenty One Pilots tour is upcoming.Today (March 26), the social media accounts of several huge arenas have been simultaneously sharing billboards and screens that feature a silhouette image of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun.In the UK, arenas that shared the image included London’s The O2, the AO Arena in Manchester and the Resorts World Arena in Birmingham.

Nothing says Easter tentpole quite like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire which is set to conquer the world with a box office debut around $135M, bolstered by 63 foreign markets and 3,850 theaters stateside.

EXCLUSIVE: After smashing records in Vietnam, Tran Thanh’s hit romance drama Mai has now set a new milestone for an opening weekend at the international box office, becoming the first Vietnamese title to score a $1M debut outside the home market.

Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4 had a rock ‘em sock ‘em weekend at the international box office, adding $55.3M from 69 markets for a $135M overseas running cume, and $268.2M global (there are several key markets still to release, including France, Australia, the UK and Korea). 

FRIDAY PM: As of right now, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireis looking alright with a $16M Friday and $42M-$43M opening at 4,345 theaters. That Friday is on par with Ghostbusters: Afterlife‘s first day (plus previews) of $16.6M, and should that 3-day keep up, it will only be a $1M shy of the 2021 Jason Reitman directed title.

Sony’s $100M sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife— Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire— is looking at an opening at $45M, give or take. The previous installment, released during the pandemic in 2021, which was directed by Jason Reitman and produced by the late Ghostbusters filmmaker Ivan Reitman, opened to $44M and legged out to $129M domestic. Currently through four movies the Ghostbusters franchise stands at $945.2M; the fifth title will easily put the brand past the $1 billion mark if not this weekend, shortly thereafter.

Coming out of the weekend, and with Sunday’s actuals and Monday’s numbers included, there are new global milestones to celebrate for the two major Hollywood titles currently in release.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck’s documentary “Eternal You” is set to be theatrical released by Dogwoof in the U.K. and Farbfilm in Germany. The buzzed-about documentary explores ways that AI is being used by help people cope with grief, allowing them to interact with avatars of their deceased loved ones.

Indies in moderate-wide release claimed the nos. 6, 8 and 9 spots at the domestic box office led by Love Lies Bleeding. Kristin Steward toplines the Berlin-premiering film by Rose Glass that expanded nationwide, grossing $2.5 million for the weekend on 1,362 screens (up from five theaters opening week). The steamy crime thriller from A24 also stars Katy O’Brian with an ensemble featuring Ed Harris, Anna Baryshnikov Dave Franco and Jenna Malone. It’s 88% Certified Fresh with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes (92% critics score).

With a solid offshore hold, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two is closing in on $500M globally. The overseas weekend brought in $51.2M across 73 markets, a 40% drop versus last session (-37% excluding China). The international box office cume through Sunday is $289.4M, and worldwide the running total is $494.7M. The latter figure means the film has already surpassed Villeneuve’s 2021 Dune worldwide.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Dune: Part Two” is barreling toward another box office milestone. Director Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction sequel has grossed $494.7 million globally, including $208 million in North America and $289.4 million internationally. It should surpass the $500 million mark by Monday, a figure that few films have reached in post-pandemic times.

EXCLUSIVE: Nowhere Special by director Uberto Pasolini (The Full Monty, Still Life), and starring James Norton (Bob Marley: One Love, Little Women, Happy Valley), is set for theatrical release on April 26.

Wallows have announced their 2024 ‘Model’ world tour with dates in the UK, Europe and North America.The trio – comprised of Dylan Minnette, Braeden Lemasters and Cole Preston – are set to kick off their biggest tour to date at the Alaska Airlines’ Theater of the Clouds in Portland, Oregon on August 6. From there, the band will make their way across the US with stops in major cities such as Seattle, Las Vegas, Austin, Atlanta, New York, Boston and San Fransisco.

Naman Ramachandran Bollywood film “Shaitaan” has scored a hefty opening, according to data provided to Variety. The film marks the first collaboration between billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios, Bollywood A-lister Ajay Devgn’s Devgn Films and Panorama Studios. “Shaitaan” scored a worldwide weekend gross of $9.8 million, including India, according to numbers from Panorama Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Sundance documentary Never Look Away, the directorial debut of actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), has been sold by XYZ to Greenwich Entertainment for all rights in North America, and to Kaleidoscope for all rights in UK.

Ellise Shafer During the reading of the U.K. government’s spring budget on Wednesday, Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt revealed a 40% corporate tax relief for film and TV studios through 2034. The plan also includes independent films shot in the U.K.

Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track. So we’re going to do the hard work for you.

After a successful return as a physical event last year, Hong Kong International Film & TV Market (Filmart, March 11-14) is taking place again this year against a complicated backdrop, both in terms of market realities and the shifting geopolitics of the region. 

Conan Gray has announced details of his 2024 UK, European and North American ‘Found Heaven’ tour.The ‘Lonely Dancers’ be taking his upcoming third album ‘Found Heaven’ on a world tour that kicks off at the John Cain Arena in Melbourne, Australia on July 11, completing a lap of the country before heading off to North America on September 19 at the Armory in Minneapolis. Europe will be the third and final leg of tour, commencing on November 2 at the AFAS Live in Amsterdam.Opening support will come from Maisie Peters for the North American run of dates and Between Friends for the European dates.A ticket pre-sale will be available starting on Wednesday March 6 at 10am local time for fans who sign up here.