Veronika Kwan Vandenberg Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Refresh for latest…: Coming in slightly above the estimates we reported on Saturday, Universal/Illumination’s Minions: The Rise Of Gru has boogied to an $87.2M weekend at the international box office. That lifts the offshore cume to $93.7M for $202.2M worldwide to date.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter It’s-a blockbuster! “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” an animated adventure based on the classic video game, crushed the competition with its jaw-dropping $204.6 million domestic and $377 million global debut over the long Easter weekend. Those results far exceeded expectations and even surpassed the starts of recent installments in Universal’s biggest franchises, like “Jurassic World Dominion” ($145 million domestically) and “Fast and Furious 9” ($70 million). So, expect a sequel to be announced faster than you can say “Let’s-a go!” “The box office just kept growing and growing,” marvels Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “It’s a tremendous worldwide debut, and the movie has a clear runway.”

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” towered over box office charts with $377 million in global ticket sales, taking the title for the biggest worldwide debut of the year from “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” ($225.3 million). The animated movie — a collaboration between Illumination, Nintendo and Universal — crushed already-high expectations, igniting to $173 million internationally and $204 million in its first five days at the domestic box office. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” opened in 70 overseas territories, including Mexico ($27.4 million to start), the U.K. and Ireland ($19.6 million to start), Germany ($14 million to start) and China ($12 million to start).

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentUniversal was out in force at CineEurope with a bevy of exclusive clips from its sprawling slate, including “Fast & Furious X,” as well as Jordan Peele’s horror thriller “Nope” and Nicholas Stoller’s “Bros,” one of the first major studio-backed romantic comedies with LGBTQ characters.The jam-packed presentation kicked off with a comedy short film made for the occasion with “Halloween Ends” star Jamie Lee Curtis in a rare comedic role playing herself a retired actor who gets a job at a movie theater and turns out to be a disaster.Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, Universal Pictures International’s president of distribution, then opened the show by stressing the importance of having a wide-ranging, diverse slate to thrive in this new era. The executive said UPI, which distribute films across Universal, Focus Features and MGM, will roll out more than 40 films over the next 12 months, “nearly doubling the titles you’ll see from any other studio here this week.” “[The] theatrical business will not survive on superheroes and VIP alone.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentIllumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, the driving force between the “Despicable Me” and “Sing” franchises, was welcomed on stage like a rockstar at Barcelona’s CineEurope event on Monday. Founded 15 years ago, Universal’s co-owned animation banner Illumination is finally getting ready for the release “Minions: The Rise of Gru” in theaters on July 1.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal executive Xavier Albert, who has been Managing Director for France since 2016, is taking on a dual market role with the studio and will also become Managing Director for Italy. Albert will take over the post from Richard Borg who is retiring in July after 30 years with the Universal Pictures International organization.

UPDATED EXCLUSIVE: As we first told you last month, former Warner Bros. International Marketing EVP Julien Noble is headed to Universal, and will start as the studio’s new President of International Marketing on March 15 in Los Angeles.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorEXCLUSIVE: Universal has set changes to its leadership teams for Germany/Austria and the Netherlands as Paul Steinschulte, Managing Director for Germany and Austria, has decided to retire at the end of the year.

Veronika Kwan Vandenberg will join Universal Pictures as president of international distribution, replacing industry veteran Duncan Clark, who will be stepping down in August after 14 years with the studio and more than five years in his current role. The two will work closely with executive vp international distribution Niels Swinkels and president of international marketing Simon Hewlett over the coming months to manage the transition.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThere’s a changing of the guard at the team that leads Universal Pictures’ overseas distribution.Duncan Clark, the convivial and much-beloved president of international distribution, will be stepping down after a 14-year run at the studio.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorBREAKING: In a surprising turn of events, longtime Universal President of International Distribution and 41-year industry veteran, Duncan Clark, is to step down from his position in August, transitioning to a consulting role with the studio.