Sony Pictures
EXCLUSIVE: Offshore audiences are checking in to Sony Pictures Animations Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation as rollout expands this weekend. HT3 had already bowed in Australia on June 28 to capitalize on school breaks, and in its first 16 days of release has surpassed the total gross of HT2, setting a franchise record in the market. The Oz cume is $8.56M. The movie will be in 48% of the overseas footprint through this weekend. The international box office cume through Thursday is $15M.
The return of the Drac Pack, again directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and with Adam Sandler atop the voice cast, staged a global push when it sailed onto the Hotel Carltons dock a day ahead of the Cannes Film Festival.
The previous HT movies have been winners for Sony, increasing domestically and internationally. Both were released in the fall, so this is the first summer tryout. HT2 finaled at $303.5M overseas in 2015 with the UK leading, followed by Venezuela, Mexico, China and Russia. Combined, the prior two movies have made $831.6M worldwide. The UK, France, Germany, Italy, Korea and the rest of Asia are releasing throughout the later weeks of July and into August.
This time around, the monster family boards a cruise ship where Drac begins to fall for mysterious Captain Ericka, but little do they know shes a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, ancient nemesis to Dracula and all other monsters.
On Thursday, Russia led new play and opened with $1.4M and taking No. 1. It came in 180% higher than HT2s opening day.
In Latin America, bows were No. 1 across the board. The film has performed 29% above HT2 for Sonys biggest animated opening day and the 5th biggest Sony opening day of all time in the region. Mexico has HT3 on pace to be Sony Pictures second biggest debut behind Spider-Man: Homecoming with $1.4M in Thursday previews. In Brazil, the film has made $839K for best opening day of all time for a Sony animated film, almost three times bigger than HT2s opening day. Argentina saw the best opening for a Sony Pictures title ever in the region and the 10th best opening in the country of all time.
As with domestic, in early play in several hubs, HT3 is topping the arrival of Skyscraper.
Following the Cannes stunt, Sony on June 23 held special themed family screenings in Australia with costume characters in attendance. The next day, the movie screened across 161 cinema sites nationally for a “Family Fun Day.”
In Brazil on July 7, Yahoo/OATH hosted a family-themed screening in Rio to a house packed with local celebrities, influencers and their families. Mexico had a “Mystery Luggage” on-air integration with Sale El Sol, a popular morning show on Imagen. There were also virtuals in World Cup games on TV Azteca and HT3 cruise ship buildouts in shopping malls, among other initiatives.
France is yet to come, on July 25, but the monsters are taking advantage of the Tour de France in an exclusive entertainment partnership between Sony Pictures Releasing International and the bike marathon that will last three weeks throughout 21 different stages along the route. Characters from the film will also be touring along the route and theres an international contest to win 10 tickets for the Champs-Elysées finish.
Spain, which opens today, took the party to Ibizas El Amante Beach Club for a VIP screening.
All of this comes as Sony is cutting down on staff in its marketing and distribution departments as part of a reorganization. International marketing president Michael Horn, it was announced earlier this week, is stepping down, with Paul Noble, EVP of international creative advertising, assuming the role of co-president of the division.
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