Toonage in Foreign Lands

Variety reports that the film directly above is now the fourth largest grosser in this wide world.

It seems to me that Christmas Carol has kind of followed the Polar Express trajectory: okay opening, but nothing to phone up Aunt Hilda about, then ... good staying power:

Robert Zemeckis' Disney's "A Christmas Carol" placed No. 3 for the frame, grossing $14.8 million from 5,298 screens in 50 territories for a cume of $146.8 million. The 3D holiday title had grossed $124.4 million domestically by the weekend for a worldwide total of $271.2 million. Many dismissed the film after a soft opening, but it has proved to have staying power.

However, the going could get tough for "Christmas Carol" as "Avatar" takes away 3D screens ....

Gee, you think?

But of course, there's lot of other animation in the overseas marketplace.

... Placing No. 4 for the frame at the international B.O. was the blockbuster launch of toon "One Piece: Strong World" [see up top] in Japan, scooping up $11.7 million to beat the $11.6 million scored by the Hayao Miyazaki toon smash "Ponyo" in its first weekend in 2008...

[Animated hybrid] "Arthur" came in No. 5 internationally, followed by Disney's traditionally animated toon "The Princess and the Frog." ... [TP&TF's] foreign launch was 10% ahead of the opening of Disney's "Bolt" in the same markets, according to the Mouse. Key drivers were Germany at $2.8 million from 544 screens and Mexico at $1.5 million from 425. "Princess" moves into Italy and Russia on Dec. 31. ...

Disney/Pixar's Up" placed No. 9 for the sesh, grossing $6.4 million, led by a dazzling $5.9 million in its second sesh in Japan. Foreign cume is $401.4 million for a worldwide total of $678.1 million. ...

Coming in No. 10 at the international B.O. was toon "Planet 51," grossing ... a worldwide haul of $70.1 million ...

Think about everything up above for a minute. The animation hybrid Avatar is at #1. Christmas Carol is closing in on a $300 million gross. The French hyrid Arthur was fifth at the global box office, and The Princess and the Frog is running ahead of Bolt overseas. Up is still minting money, and the Japanese One Piece: Strong World has landed in fourth place worldwide.

There's a broad and diverse river of animation making money in the 2009 marketplace, which isn't lost on the bean counters. This could explain why global employment for animated features continues to expand.

Add On: The Times of Los Angeles reports:

"Avatar" sold a studio-estimated $232.2 million worth of tickets around the world this weekend, the ninth-biggest global debut of all time not accounting for ticket-price inflation. It was the biggest ever for a non-sequel, a sign that Fox's marketing machine succeeded in generating huge interest in a picture whose name alone didn't have much built-in excitement, as evidenced by modestly attended midnight screenings Thursday night.

The film's $73-million domestic gross was, like every movie in the market, significantly affected Saturday by snowstorms that kept East Coast audiences, from Washington, D.C., through New England, off the roads. ...

The big money for "Avatar," however, is coming from the rest of the world. Despite not yet having opened in Japan and China and frigid weather in northern Europe, it collected $159.2 million, the sixth-highest simultaneous foreign launch of all time...