‘Django’ Steals Overseas Box-Office Show With $42M 2nd Week

"Zero Dark Thirty" debuts softly in U.K, where "Les Miz" wins third straight week and crosses $300M at worldwide box office

“Django Unchained” stole the spotlight in a week of high-profile overseas box office debuts and milestones. Quentin Tarantino's slave saga, a Best Picture Oscar nominee, brought in a very strong $42.9 million over the weekend and is proving an international hit.

That was the best of any U.S. film at the foreign box office and comes on the heels of its $48 million international debut last weekend. It launched No. 1 in Australia ($4.2 million) and New Zealand ($385,000), and held the top spots for a second week in Germany ($8.1 million, $21 million total) and France ($6.6 million, $16.4 million), and was No. 2 in the U.K. ($3.8 million. $11.5 million).

With the $146 million "Django" has made in the U.S., where it is distributed by the Weinstein Company, its worldwide total is now $261 million.

Also read: 'Hansel and Gretel' Slays the Box Office as Other Star Vehicles Sputter

In its first major overseas test, Universal debuted Kathryn Bigelow's “Zero Dark Thirty” in five markets and took in $7.7 million. The film didn't draw any of the criticism over its portrayals of torture that had followed it in the U.S., but neither did it ignite the box-office. It opened No. 4 in the U.K. with $1.6 million from 433 locations. It was No. 2 in France with $1.5 million.

Universal's star-studded musical “Les Miserables” held the top spot in the U.K. for the third consecutive week and cleared the $300 million mark at the worldwide box office in the process. “Les Miz” added another $6 million this week to up its total there to $38 million after 17 days, making it the second-highest grossing film musical ever in the U.K., behind only “Mamma Mia.”

Also read: 'Zero Dark Thirty' Heads to Europe: Will Torture Controversy Follow?

The same studio's comedy “Ted” is going to pass $300 million at the overseas box office this week, after adding another $3.6 million in Japan last week.

Sony's “Skyfall” took in more than $34 million in its first week in China — bigger than the debuts of “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Dark Knight Rises” there — and added another $35.4 million overseas. That brings its international total to a $776.5 million, making it the six-biggest film of all time in the international marketplace. The worldwide total for the James Bond thriller is now more than $1.07 billion.

"Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters” had a strong second week for Paramount, bringing in $25 million from 20 markets — it debuted at No. 1 in all but one — and raising its overseas total to $35.8 million. Brazil was the top market with $4.5 million.

“Life of Pi” opened No. 1 in Japan with $4.6 million for Fox and took in $17.5 million from 60 foreign markets in all. That upped the overall international gross for Ang Lee's lyrical epic to $422 million.

Fox also had “Lincoln," like “Les Miz” and “Pi” a Best Picture Oscar nominee, in 22 foreign markets and it took in $10.7 million, led by a $2.7 million showing in the U.K. Delivering a surprising strong showing was Italy, where the Steven Spielberg-directed historical drama took in $2.7 million.

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