France's most expensive VFX extravaganza ASTERIX AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES ruled the European box office in its opening weekend, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The film grossed approximately $25 million on nearly 6,000 screens across nine territories.
The Pathe-distributed film brought in $17 million in France alone. For Germany, the film took home $3 million on 500 screens, while 75 Austrian theaters added $675,000 to the cume. The third film in the ASTERIX series played on only three screens in the U.K., earning $4,000.
The $113 million production carried a $5.8 million advertising budget in France. Previous films in the series are ASTERIX AND OBELIX VERSUS CAESAR and ASTERIX AND OBELIX: MISSION CLEOPATRA. All the films are based on the famed French comic featuring Asterix and Obelix as they fend off Roman invaders. Gerard Depardieu, Alain Delon and Clovis Cornillac star in the films.
The film will open in Italy, Holland and Spain this week.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
