MONDAY UPDATE, writethru with actuals: Paramount Pictures/Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – Fallout lit the fuse this weekend with an action-packed $155.83M worldwide opening to rep the best start ever for the Tom Cruise franchise. Of that, $94.6M — up $2.6M from the Sunday estimate — comes from the international box office where it’s also the top launch for the spy series ($61.23M is from domestic, another franchise record). Out in just 36 markets for 40% of the offshore footprint, Fallout is currently 23% ahead of Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation‘s 2015 overseas start on a like-for-like basis.

As we noted in our global preview, anything above the $131.5M opening for 2011’s Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol reps a worldwide record start for Ethan Hunt & Co. With so much of the world to come on Fallout, including France, Japan and China (the latter dated August 31), it’s early to put a multiple on it, but $700M+ global is probable and would see the film leap to front of the line in the franchise.

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The Mission movies have increased in popularity internationally with faraway locales serving as key to the narrative and Cruise a globe-trotting force whose death-defying stunts continue to up the ante. The last two films in the series made 70% of their box office from overseas, aided by growth in emerging markets, and this one is teed up to continue the trend with a fair bit of runway ahead.

Early on, opening projections for the Christopher McQuarrie-helmed Fallout (estimated production cost $180M) were in the $75M-$80M range overseas, with some going as high as $90M. As of Friday, we knew this one was cruising past $80M abroad. And then Saturday revved the engines beyond expectation.

There’s joy on the Melrose lot as Paramount’s President of International Theatrical Distribution, Mark Viane, tells me, “Word of mouth has been a key driver on this and when we saw our Saturday jump from Friday, it was just incredible.” He also notes that the different formats the film is playing in, from IMAX — which has select scenes expanded exclusively for its screens — to 3D and 4DX, make the film “one of those must-see movies” in a theater.

Viane calls this the “quintessential” movie for Cruise. “The stunts and dedication and tireless work when he’s touring on the premieres and on the promotional side, it’s amazing. He gives it his all and this is where we end up, with an incredible film with him and McQuarrie. We couldn’t have asked for anything more. It’s incredible that the film delivers to this level and with audiences loving it worldwide, it’s obvious that this movie is a home run.”

Paramount’s Mary Daily, President of International Theatrical Marketing, and David Sameth, President of Worldwide Marketing, led a global effort on Fallout with the overseas campaign positioning it as a summer movie event that delivered story and action — and a new level of real stunts. Digital played a key role with unprecedented Viacom integration overseas. Key offshore partners included BMW, Karcher and Airbus with Shell in the UK, LG in Korea and M&M’s in France and the UK. The iconic music (Fallout‘s score is by Lorne Balfe) was embraced with stunts and influencers through festivals including, MTV’s Isle of Malta, Rock in Rio and I-Days Milano. Smartly leaning into the World Cup, there were major game media buys and customized creative to engage in the conversation around the football.

REX/Shutterstock At the world premiere in Paris, Cruise wished France luck in the final which was to be played (and won by Les Bleus) just a few days later. Cruise also declared the movie a “love letter” to Paris. He and McQuarrie were joined there by co-stars Henry Cavill, Michelle Monaghan, Rebecca Ferguson, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby and Simon Pegg. The team also traveled to London, Seoul and Tokyo.

In total, 29 offshore markets bowed at No. 1 for the weekend; 31 had the biggest start for the M:I franchise; and 18 are the best for a Cruise movie. IMAX delivered $5M from 276 overseas locations — 22 markets saw the top start ever in the format for the franchise including Russia, the UAE, Korea, India, Hong Kong, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

Alibaba Meanwhile, although Fallout is the biggest movie domestically and worldwide, it did not take the international crown this weekend owing to a massive title in China where Hello Mr Billionaire took a locally estimated $132M to rival the opening of last year’s phenomenon Wolf Warrior 2 (comScore has it at $129.5M). The comedy is based on Universal’s 1985 Richard Pryor movie Brewster’s Millions (more below in the local-language section).

When China circles around to Fallout on August 31, it should be boosted by the participation of Alibaba Pictures which made its first Hollywood investment on Rogue Nation. That film set records in its Middle Kingdom run, grossing $136M at historic rates. Adjusted, and including China, Rogue Nation finaled at $473.2M internationally.

In milestone news, Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 is thisclose to $1B worldwide. Through Sunday, it has grossed $999.3M, including Disney $426.2M internationally. When it passes, it will be the fourth movie of the year to hit the benchmark and Disney’s third. Universal’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which held the top spot in the UK to edge Fallout, is closing in on $100M overseas. And, Disney/Marvel’s Ant-Man And The Wasp has crossed $200M offshore and is scurrying to $400M global.

Breakdowns and actuals on the films above and more have been updated below.

NEW

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT

Paramount In his sixth outing as Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise delivered the Mission: Impossible series’ best start ever internationally, globally and domestically. His reteam with Rogue Nation director Christopher McQuarrie (the 9th time the pair have collaborated) pulls no punches when it comes to stunts and action, and grossed $94.6M at the overseas box office for $155.83M worldwide. In like-for-like markets, Fallout is running 23% ahead of Rogue. There are still key majors to come including France — which provides much of the backdrop for Fallout – Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and China. And there is competitive runway ahead.

France has figured in the Top 5 markets on all the previous Mission installments and will open August 1. Japan, the lead market on the first three M:Is and No. 2 behind China on the past two, also goes this coming weekend. The Top 5 markets overall on Rogue Nation were China, Japan, Korea, the UK and France.

Cruise and the Mission: Impossible franchise have increasingly proved a perfect match to light a bright fuse offshore. Rogue Nation did 71% of its business overseas as the franchise has grown incrementally with audiences (and as markets emerge) abroad. The international locales provide valuable backdrop to set pieces and there’s much to be said for Eddie Hamilton’s editing here, particularly in the chase scene through Paris which is woven with great continuity. Cruise and the team were also tireless in their promotional efforts, traveling to key cities.

That certainly paid off in Korea, which is already a big Cruise hub. It was the standout this weekend with $24.9M from 1,937 locations and 67% market share. The No. 1 opening is 85% above Ghost Protocol and 22% above Rogue Nation. This is the biggest Cruise opening in the market and the biggest bow for the Mission movies.

The UK debuted at No. 2 (behind Mamma Mia 2, but No. 1 including previews and benefiting from inclement weather at the weekend) for $9.5M at 585 cinemas; 101% above Ghost Protocol and 26% above Rogue Nation. India had a supercharged start at $8.2M in 1,304 locations for 129% above MIGP and 38% above MIRN. This is the biggest Cruise opening in the market, the biggest opening in the franchise and the biggest Paramount launch of all time.

Latin America and the Middle East also posted great starts. Lat Am has not traditionally been a big region for the M:I movies, but as overall business has increased since Ghost Protocol, it perked up with Rogue Nation and got another bump from Fallout — notably embracing 3D.

Mexico was No. 1 with $4.9M at 815 cinemas and the biggest franchise start at 177% above Ghost Protocol and 13% above Rogue Nation. Brazil delivered $4M at 624 cinemas for No. 1 (+360% on Ghost Protocol/+29% on Rogue Nation) and the best Cruise/franchise openings. Colombia came in No. 1 at $946K from 200 (+272% GP/+ 15% RN). Argentina opened in 2nd place with $945K at 202 cinemas (+514% GP/+119% RN). The latter is the best for Cruise and the series.

The Middle East region did $6.1M. In the UAE, where the publicity from the HALO jump having been performed there will have helped, the gross was $3M at 53 for 28% above Ghost Protocol and 21% above Rogue Nation. It’s the top Cruise, franchise and Paramount opening ever in the market.

The South East Asian hubs are also heavily on board here. Taiwan ($5.4M/94 sites), Hong Kong ($2.8M/54), Thailand ($2.1M/66), the Philippines ($2.3M/208) and Vietnam ($1.2M/157) were all No. 1 and the best for Cruise and the franchise.

Russia’s $3.8M at 1,300 is the best start to the franchise and same goes for Ukraine with $641K at 176. Spain was the only major that came in below the comps, although this was a No. 1 opening with $1.7M at 389.

HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION

Sony In holdover play, Sony Pictures Animation’s threequel checks in with $31M for an overseas total of $165M in 55 markets and $284.2M global. The offshore cume is 27% above Hotel Transylvania 2 at the same point in release and at current exchanges. Across all holds, the drop was 43% from last session.

The UK was new this weekend with $4.2M to top the previous film by 12%. France also bested HT2 (+31%) at $4.1M including previews.

Latin America is a highlight with a regional cume of $71.3M. Brazil has surpassed the lifetimes of both HT2 and Cars 3 with $14.7M. Mexico continues to lead all hubs with $21.3M to date after the 3rd frame. Argentina, despite new arrival Fallout, held No. 1 for the 3rd straight weekend. The cume there is $9.9M.

Solid individual market drops include Belgium (-1%), Sweden (-12%), Denmark (-21%), Brazil (-23%), Argentina (-33%), Spain (-37%) and Germany (-41%).

Upcoming major markets include Korea on August 8 and Italy on August 22.

MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN

Universal As it approaches the $100M mark internationally, Universal’s Mamma Mia! sequel added $27.2M to the international songbook for $97.4M overseas. The global cume is $167.9M. Offshore, the drop from opening weekend was 37%. There are 46 markets now open including launches in France, Poland, Switzerland and Croatia.

France took $1.76M at 593 theaters for No. 4 as we suffer through a heatwave here. Poland was No. 1 with $1.29M and tracking above the previous film. French-speaking Switzerland warbled to $190K at 30 locations. And Croatia had a strong No. 1 opening with $160K at 44 to track above the original.

The top holdover market was the UK which beat Fallout with $9.29 at 718 sites to continue tracking ahead of Mamma Mia! the first by 19%. The cume there is $35.38M. Australia also held No. 1 with a 34% dip for $9.49M through Sunday. Germany has now grossed $8.25M.

Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands had strong holds in the 2nd frame with $4.6M, $5.3M and $3.28M, respectively.

In 2008, the top hubs on Mamma Mia! were the UK, Germany, Japan, Korea and Sweden. Up next this coming weekend are notably Brazil and China where there’s still big local competition and the first movie never released. Beyond that, Korea, Russia, Mexico, Japan and Italy join the chorus throughout August and into early September.

INCREDIBLES 2

Disney/Pixar Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 is expected to pass the $1B mark globally Monday. In the meantime, it’s powered up $999.3M worldwide with $426.2M in 41 markets overseas and majors to come. There were no new openings this session which grossed $22.5M. Holds were strong in the Netherlands (+20%), Belgium (-12%), South Africa (-13%), Israel (-19%), Argentina (-25%), Chile (-26%), the UK (-33%), Poland (-37%), Switzerland (-38%), France (-45%) and Hong Kong (-45%).

The Brad Bird-helmed film has become the Nos. 4 and 5 Pixar release of all time in Korea and Hong Kong in less than two weeks of release. In Australia, it’s the 3rd highest grossing animated movie ever, behind only Shrek 2 and Finding Dory.

The Top 5 markets are China ($53.4M), the UK ($42.8M), Mexico ($37.1M), Brazil ($32.8M) and Australia ($32.6M).

Up next weekend are Japan and Spain with Italy and Germany to come in September.

SKYSCRAPER

Universal Dwayne Johnson’s Die Hard redux crossed $100M internationally (excluding China) on Thursday with $111.3M to date for Universal. In China, the film was No. 3 in its 2nd session behind two major new local entries. The total there is a locally-reported $86M with an estimated $7M this weekend. That takes the full overseas weekend to an estimated $17.9M including $10.9M from 67 Universal markets. The worldwide total, excluding China, is $170.4M for $256.4M with the Middle Kingdom where the movie is handled by Legendary East. Next weekend sees no new openings. Japan is on deck for September 21.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

Disney Buzzing through its 4th overseas session, Disney/Marvel’s Ant-Man And The Wasp collected $12.5M in 50 markets. That lifts the international total past $200M to $212.2M, and the global gross to $394.2M.

Germany gave the size-shifting insects a No. 1 welcome at $2.5M ($2.8M with previews) to open ahead of the first movie. Strong holds include Norway (-23%), Sweden (-23%), Denmark (-26%), Belgium (-30%), Chile (-31%), South Africa (-32%), the Netherlands (-33%), France (-42%) and Australia (-46%).

The Top 5 hubs to date are Korea ($42.1M), Mexico ($14.5M), Australia ($13.3M), Russia ($12.3M) and Brazil ($11.8M).

Next weekend adds the UK with Italy and Japan to come later in August.

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM

Universal With Japan still digging the dinos, Universal/Amblin’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom stomped out another $11.8M internationally this weekend to log $840.2M at the offshore box office. The global cume is $1,237.7M. Japan was the top hold in its 3rd session to lift the cume to $43.9M off an 18% drop. Strong holds elsewhere include Argentina (-26%/$10.7M cume), France (-27%/$29.4M) and the UK (-44%/$54.1M).

THE FIRST PURGE

Universal Pictures After becoming the biggest of the franchise overseas this week, Universal/Blumhouse’s fourthquel added $4.6M in the session for $45.6M to date in 34 markets. The global cume is $111.1M. There were four markets added this weekend including Israel with $111K at 24 sites. The top hold is Mexico where the total is now $7.83M. France in its 4th frame dropped 40% for a $6.27M cume. Hubs still to open include Russia next weekend and Brazil in December.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE

Warner Bros. Ocean’s 8 (WB): $2.7M intl weekend (57 markets); $132.4M intl cume

The Equalizer 2 (SNY): $1.9M intl weekend (11 markets); $6.1M intl cume; key majors throughout August/into September

Tag (WB): $1.4M intl weekend (38 markets); $19.3M intl cume

Adrift (STX): $1.2M intl weekend (60 markets); $17.6M intl cume

*Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (WB): $1.1M intl weekend (8 markets led by Argentina); first majors come throughout August

LOCAL-LANGUAGE

Ti Gong Chinese comedy Hello Mr Billionaire, a remake of Universal’s 1985 Richard Pryor-starrer Brewster’s Millions, is reaping dough at the local box office. With Middle Kingdom estimates at $132M, it’s on a par with the debut of last summer’s mega-blockbuster Wolf Warrior 2 which went on to become the biggest movie ever in China. The Mr Billionaire property was licensed from Universal which also helped develop the script for the Chinese version and is written and directed by Fei Yan and Damo Peng who made 2015 hit Goodbye Mr Loser. In the current film, Duoyu Wang, a goalkeeper in a level C football league, is fired for the loss of a game. Afterwards, he receives a very strange challenge from a Taiwanese consortium: Spend up to one billion RMB in a month. Expecting it to be the start of joy and happiness, Duoyu Wang for the first time experiences the difficulty of spending money. The movie stars Teng Shgeng, Vivian Sung, Yiming Zhang, Chenguang Zhang, Yuan Chang, Xiang Wei, Chengsi Wang and Liang Tao.

Produced and distributed by Slinky Town Pictures, Starry Entertainments, FunAge Pictures, New Classic Media Corporation and Alibaba Pictures, it was also released in China on IMAX which further had screens for the No. 2 local title, Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings. The latter film, directed by Tsui Hark, grossed $2.5M in IMAX on 513 screens and an estimated $43M total.

In other new local action, Warner Bros’ Illang: The Wolf Brigade made $5.2M in Korea for No. 3 and Fox International Productions’ Mas Sabe El Diablo Por Viejo grossed $1.19M in Mexico at No. 4.