Like domestic moviegoers, ticket buyers overseas seem willing to pay a premium for seeing a movie in the new format.
A significant share of the overseas gross is coming from 3-D runs, even though those runs represent a relatively small percentage of the pic's total screen count. In Spain, for example, 3-D accounted for 38% of the gross but only 20% of the screens. The results in Italy were even more dramatic, with 45% of the tally from only 19% of the screen count.
"Monsters" placed No. 1 at the international box office over the weekend, grossing $33.5 million from 7,467 runs in 47 territories. Foreign cume on the toon from DreamWorks Animation/Paramount is $47 million.
Pic opened March 27 domestically and in a few overseas territories that same week but broadened into new territories last weekend, timed to students' spring breaks.
"We're definitely seeing the same dynamic internationally, in that people prefer to see movies in 3-D when they have the opportunity," Paramount co-chair Rob Moore said.
In the U.K., the film enjoyed a $6.4 million opening weekend, with 3-D runs contributing an amazing 50% of that even though those runs account for a small percentage of the total playdates.
In Austria, 3-D runs accounted for 59% of the gross; other markets also had high tallies, such as Australia (38%) and Argentina (30%).
In China, the pic ran exclusively on 3-D screens.
The revenue trend has been similar on the domestic front. In its U.S. opening weekend, 3-D runs yielded 56% of the gross, although they made up less than 28% of the total screen count (1,550 3-D locations out of 4,104 total).
The toon is a key test for the fledgling 3-D rebirth, as it's the first of a number of Hollywood event pics set for release this year, culminating in December with 20th Century Fox's "Avatar."
Par international prexy of distribution Andrew Cripps said the continuing rollout is designed to take advantage of various spring vacations. Ultimately, "Monsters" will play on 1,600 3-D screens, the current number of 3-D screens internationally.
"Monsters" scored DreamWorks Animation its third best opening gross for an original title after "Shrek" and "Kung Fu Panda."
Even so, DreamWorks Animation's share price slumped on Monday and Tuesday after several analysts downgraded the company's stock. On a down day overall, DWA shares fell nearly 3% to close at $19.45 on Tuesday.
Through Sunday, the domestic gross on "Monsters vs. Aliens" was $104.8 million for a worldwide total of $151.8 million. At that rate, "Monsters" should generate the same amount of business as Fox's "Ice Age" or Warner Bros.' "Happy Feet," which grossed $383 million and $384 million, respectively, at the worldwide box office.
After "Monsters," the other big winner at the foreign box office last 5 weekend was Universal's "Fast and Furious," the fourth outing of the action franchise.
The reteaming of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster for the first time since the original 2001 pic did the trick, both domestically and overseas.
Pic opened to $30.7 million from 3,269 runs in 32 territories overseas. It opened at $71 million domestically, putting the worldwide tally at $101.7 million.
