Universal Box Office Revenue Falls 88% in First Quarter of 2021

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“F9” could send the box office into overdrive when it debuts overseas this weekend.The latest entry in Universal’s high-octane franchise, which opens in Korea, Hong Kong, the Middle East, Russia and China in the coming days, is expected to bring in at least $150 million to $180 million at the international box office.

The Toretto family will be back in action this week as Universal’s F9 speeds into early offshore release beginning in Korea and Hong Kong on Wednesday, followed by Russia and the Middle East on Thursday and China on Friday. In those markets combined, F9 is looking to drive off with an opening weekend in the $160M-$180M range, industry sources believe, though it could go higher.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefZhang Yimou’s period espionage thriller “Cliff Walkers” ran out a comfortable winner at the mainland Chinese box office, ahead of other holdovers and new release titles including Jason Statham-starring “Wrath of Man.”“Cliff Walkers” dropped only 32% between its second and third weekends, taking $16.6 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway.

Gallery: The best serial killer movies ever made (Espresso)"Those Who Wish Me Dead," which finished the weekend in third place, wasn't the only new movie to open. "Spiral," a creepy addition to the terrifying "Saw" franchise, brought in $8.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Spiral: From The Book of Saw” carved out the top spot at the South Korean box office over the weekend. But it was a thin slice of a painfully quiet weekend.Korea’s aggregate nationwide box office was just $2.60 million, almost unchanged from last week and within a whisker of being the smallest weekend total in three months.

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Refresh for latest…: A significant week is ahead at the international box office as Universal’s F9 starts its engines in a handful of major markets including China, Russia and Korea — and as the UK and France will reopen cinemas after a roughly seven-month shutdown. In the meantime, Fast & Furious franchise alum Jason Statham’s Wrath Of Man was the main overseas Hollywood title this session, lifting its offshore cume to $41.4M for $56M global.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw is on top at the box office.

Zack Snyder poses for a photo while attending an opening night screening of his new movie Army of the Dead on Friday night (May 14) at the Landmark Theatre in Westwood, Calif.

Rebecca Davis editorZhang Yimou’s spy thriller “Cliff Walkers” strode into first place this weekend at the China box office with a $24.3 million score, bringing its cumulative total up to $118 million, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway.It more than tripled the gross of “My Love,” the melodramatic rom-com that had outpaced it last week for first place, in what was the opening weekend for both films.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefNewly released “The Croods: A New Age” jostled with two previously-released titles to form a triumvirate at the top of the South Korean box office over the weekend of May 7-9, 2021.But after a sprightly Wednesday, which was a national holiday, the weekend numbers were weak. Aggregate takings between Friday and Sunday were a lowly $2.57 million.Box office charts in Korea are typically ranked in order of ticket sales.

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Refresh for latest…: Yet another international box office frame was led by Chinese movies in their home market as local May Day holdovers continued play coming off a record holiday session. While a handful of studio titles are doing business in other pockets of the world, we are in something of a holding pattern until majors like the UK and France begin opening in the coming weeks, and as Universal’s F9 is expected to rev up overseas turnstiles for Hollywood starting on May 19.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Wrath of Man,” a heist thriller starring Jason Statham, is leading box office charts with its $8.1 million debut.It’s hardly the start to summer movie season, which typically kicks off the first weekend in May, that many theater owners were hoping would ignite with Marvel’s “Black Widow.” (Disney recently moved the release of its superhero tentpole starring Scarlet Johansson from May 7 to July 9).

Chinese box office across the five-day May Day holiday which concluded Wednesday hit a record high of RMB 1.67B ($258M). This is up from the RMB 1.53B grossed during the similar 2019 frame which lasted four days.

The Mexican comedy Nosotros Los Nobles (We Are the Nobles) is getting an English-language feature take at Netflix from producers Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe for 26th Street Pictures as part of their overall deal with the streamer.

Jamie Lang Netflix is about to introduce one of Mexico’s most legendary fictional families to the English-speaking world with “We Are the Nobles,” a new U.S.

Zhang Yimou's spy thriller Cliff Walkers was the best reviewed new release to open over China's lucrative May Day holiday weekend, but it was far from the biggest earner. Youth romance My Love, from Beijing Enlight Pictures, overcame withering reviews to dominate the start of the long holiday frame, earning $65.1 million from Friday to Sunday.

Japanese anime blockbuster Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train edged out video game adaptation Mortal Kombat at the weekend box office, according to Sunday estimates. Demon Slayer grossed $6.4 million from 1,925 theaters for an impressive 10-day domestic total of $34.1 million for Aniplex and Funimation, and north of $450 million globally.