‘War’ takes in $34.6 mil in world debut
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - “War of the Worlds” grossed $21.3 million on its opening day at the box office in North America, distributor Paramount Pictures said Thursday.
The opening day for the PG-13-rated sci-fi thriller directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise proved to be the seventh biggest of all-time for a Wednesday debut and a company best for the distributor.
“We are thrilled. It’s an absolute home run for the studio,” Paramount distribution chief Wayne Lewellen said. “It’s on the high side of what we were hoping for. We wanted to be in the $20 million range.”
Sony’s “Spider-Man 2″ holds the record for the biggest Wednesday opening of all-time, with $40.4 million, followed by New Line Cinema’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” with $34.5 million. For Paramount, the distributor’s previous biggest opening day was for “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” which gleaned $18.1 million on a Friday in June of 2001.
First-day results of the overseas opening of “War” in 46 countries indicated that the film brought in $13.35 million, overseas distributor United International Pictures said Thursday. The kickoff was said to be marked by numerous personal records for Spielberg and Cruise and new box office achievements for UIP.
The opening-day assault, a day-and-day bow with Paramount’s domestic release, did not include such key markets as the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Korea, noted UIP president and chief operating officer Andrew Cripps.
Early highlights include an opening-day take of $2.8 million in Japan, hailed as UIP’s fourth-biggest opening in the market and 37% better than Spielberg’s previous offering “Minority Report.”
The single-day takeoff in Australia hit $923,057, saluted as the second biggest opening day for a film this year behind “Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith” and the biggest opening ever for both a Spielberg and a Cruise film.
Italy’s $1.3 million marked the second biggest opening day ever behind “Matrix Reloaded.”
Spain’s $1.2 million was rated as Cruise’s best ever in the market; and Mexico’s $1.3 million as the second biggest Wednesday opening behind “Shrek 2.”
“War” opened in parts of Eastern Europe and Russia on Thursday. The film opens in the United Kingdom on Friday, and in France on Monday.
