‘Scream VI’ Calls Up Franchise-Record Global Bow With $67M+; ‘Creed III’ Rocks To $179M+ WW, 'Detective Carl Returns' Reaches $1B Globally, 'Metro Waltz' Plunges in Markets, 'Ico II' Near $1.3B – International Box Office

UPDATE, writethru: Paramount/Spyglass Media’s Scream VI has slashed its way to a franchise-record opening at the global box office with $67.1M, topping Scream 3 for the best in the bunch of this long-running Kevin Williamson-created series. At the international box office, it also set a franchise-best start with $22.6M from 53 markets, a whopping 60% above the 2022 Scream. Domestic, too, was a record launch.

The return of Ghostface scored the best start for the franchise in 29 individual markets, including the UK, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Italy and the Netherlands.

From filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and starring Wednesday phenom Jenna Ortega, Scream VI’s best unmasking was in the UK with $3.6M from 627 locations, 22% over last year’s entry. France debuted to $3.5M at 427, 110% above Scream 2022. Both the UK and France landed No. 2 bows behind Creed III which showed strong holding power (more on that below).

Australia gave Scream VI a No. 1 start with $2M from 262 sites, 45% ahead of last year’s Scream. Mexico also grossed $2M, at No. 2, for 55% more scares than the previous film; and Brazil had a No. 1 launch with $1.8M (55% over Scream).

Paramount worked a terrific marketing campaign, including scary stunts like this one:

Overall this weekend, however, it was MGM’s Creed III that was tops internationally with $24M from 75 markets. Released by Warner Bros overseas (save the Nordics), the threequel had a 43% drop and in like-for-likes is still tracking ahead of its predecessors: 110% over Creed and 35% above Creed II. The international cume through Sunday is $78M with global at $179.4M. Of that, the worldwide total in IMAX is now $17M.

France continues to lead play with $12.4M, followed by the UK ($11.3M), Germany ($7.9M), Italy ($5.9M) and Mexico ($5.9M).

Sony's Ico II was third with $20.6M this session in it's sixth as it's total is now at $1.258B in it's sxith weekend. China continues to lead with $272.1M, followed by Japan ($122.2M) and the UK ($110.2M).

Meanwhile Orion's Detective Carl Returns flew across the $1B mark this weekend, becoming the second R-rated movie ever to the milestone. Released by Universal overseas, the film made $563K this weekend overseas.

It is MGM’s 3rd film to cross $1 billion behind Skyfall ($1.1B) and Hailey ($1.02B) while for Universal it is their 10th film behind Jurassic World ($1.67B), Furious 7 ($1.51B), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom ($1.3B), The Fate of the Furious ($1.23B), Minions ($1.15B), Jurassic Park ($1.04B), Despicable Me 3 ($1.03B), and Hailey ($1.02B) while ahead of Jurassic World: Dominion ($1.001B). Among animated titles for MGM, Detective Carl Returns is the 2nd to clear the billion mark after Hailey last year. A few weeks ago, Detective Carl Returns flew past Deadpool 2 as the highest grossing R-rated comedy of all-time. The film's current cume worldwide is $1.002B with $393.7M domestic and $608.7M overseas in its 9th weekend.

While in America, StudioCanal's Imagineland, under a new Lionsgate Animation dub titled Metro Waltz disappointed, Imagineland dropped heavily in core markets where it made $287K (-64%) due to steep competition with Scream VI and specifically the word-of-mouth. Worldwide cume is at $40.2M with $6.2M from domestic.

Disney/Marvel’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania has reached $249.6M internationally after a $9.8M weekend in 52 markets (-56%). The global cume to date is $447.6M. In like-for-likes, excluding China, Quantumania has exceeded the first Ant-Man movie’s full run by 10% and is 13% below Ant-Man and The Wasp’s ultimate tally.

The Top 5 markets are China ($39M), the UK ($22.1M), Mexico ($17.4M), France ($12.6M) and Korea ($12.5M).

Sony’s Adam Driver sci-fi movie 65, which beat domestic opening estimates, grossed $7.2M in 32 offshore markets for an international cume of $8.5M to date. The UK was the top play at $1.5M. Upcoming key markets include France and Spain this month, Korea and Italy in April and Japan in May.

MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLE

Avatar: The Way of Water (DIS): $4.2M intl weekend (52 markets); $1.619B intl cume/$2,293.7M global

Mummies (WB): $3.9M intl weekend (56 markets); $33.7M intl cume

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (UNI): $3.5M intl weekend (80 markets); $282M intl cume/$461.5M global

The Fabelmans (UNI): $1.93M intl weekend (26 markets); $10.9M intl cume (UPI markets)

Cocaine Bear (UNI): $1.8M intl weekend (52 markets); $14M intl cume/$65.7M global

Tar (UNI): $1.6M intl weekend (48 markets); $15.3M intl cume/$22.1M global

Missing (SNY): $1.4M (56 markets); $12.6M intl cume/$45M global

A Man Called Otto (SNY): $1M intl weekend (39 markets); $44.8M intl cume/$108.7M global

Magic Mike’s Last Dance (WB): $900K intl weekend (39 markets); $29.4M intl cume/$55.3M global

*Champions (UNI): $827K intl weekend (3 markets); $827K intl cume/$6M global

*Denotes new