酷兔英语

次,它成了全球大片。

《饥 饿游戏:星火燎原》(The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)在美国和加拿大上映后的首周末票房约为1.611亿美元,是有记录以来北美地区首周末票房第四高的影片,但仅略高于2012年3月第一部《饥饿 游戏》(Hunger Games)实现的1.525亿美元首周末票房。
 

Lionsgate
《饥饿游戏:星火燎原》剧照

不过,这部影片的海外票房远远超过了第一部。这个改编自青少年畅销书三部曲的系列影片共计划分四部拍摄,《星火燎原》是第二部。在63个海外市场,这部影片共实现票房1.466亿美元,较同样在这些海外市场上映过的第一部票房高96%。

对《饥饿游戏》系列影片的出品方洛杉矶电影公司狮门影业公司(Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.)来说,海外票房将是帮助《星火燎原》成为该公司有史以来第一部票房过10亿美元的影片的关键。全球只有17部影片票房超过10亿美元。

这对狮门影业尤其重要,因为该公司比时代华纳(Time Warner Inc.)旗下的华纳兄弟(Warner Bros.)、康卡斯特(Comcast Corp.)旗下的环球影业(Universal Pictures.)等竞争对手小得多。

在美国和加拿大以外,狮门影业只在英国有院线业务,在拉美通过一个合资企业运营有院线。好莱坞主要电影公司都在大部分主要国家拥有发行业务。

在《星火燎原》在大部分国家同时上映之际,为了给该片打造一场全球营销宣传战,狮门影业的营销团队必须与数十个外国发行公司进行协调。协调的工作包括在伦敦、马德里、罗马和柏林举行的首映式。这些城市的首映式先于洛杉矶和纽约。

狮门影业副董事长伯恩斯(Michael Burns)说,如果只在很少几个国家有自己的发行业务,要完成这样的全球上映,营销策略的难度非常高。

很多外国发行公司为获得这部影片的发行权向狮门影业支付了预付款,该公司将这些钱用作制作预算。该片的制作预算接近1.5亿美元。这类预付款的数额通常是根据一部影片在一个地区的预期票房确定的。

伯恩斯说,《星火燎原》在很多国家票房都有望超出预期。他说,这将为狮门影业带来相当大的溢余。溢余是一个行业术语,指的是在初始预付款之外支付的海外发行费。

《星火燎原》在英国的表现尤其强劲,票房达2,000万美元,是第一部《饥饿游戏》首周末票房的两倍半以上;在德国,该片首周末票房为1,280万美元,是第一部的三倍以上;澳大利亚票房为1,150万美元,较第一部高21%。

狮门影业没有提供中国的票房数据。在中国,该片票房不及华纳兄弟出品的3D大片《地心引力》(Gravity)。

This time, it's a global blockbuster.

'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' opened to an estimated $161.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, the fourth-biggest domesticopening on record but barely bigger than the $152.5 million launch of the original 'Hunger Games' in March 2012.

Internationally, however, the second of four planned movies based on the best-selling young-adult book trilogy blew away its predecessor. 'Catching Fire' grossed $146.6 million from 63 foreign markets, 96% higher than 'The Hunger Games' opened to in the same countries.

For Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. LGF +3.75% , the Los Angeles studio behind 'The Hunger Games' series, foreign grosses will be the key to 'Catching Fire' potentially becoming the first $1 billion movie in the company's history, a mark only 17 films have reached.

It would be particularly significant for Lions Gate, which is much smaller than competitors like Time Warner Inc. TWX +0.06% 's Warner Bros. and Comcast Corp.'s CMCSA +4.36% Universal Pictures.

Outside of the U.S. and Canada, Lions Gate only has theatrical operations in the U.K. and, via a joint venture, Latin America. Hollywood's major studios all have distribution operations in most large countries.

To create a global marketing campaign for 'Catching Fire' as it opened simultaneously in most countries, Lions Gate's marketing team had to coordinate with dozens of foreign distributors. The effort included premieres in London, Madrid, Rome and Berlin that took place before ones in Los Angeles and New York.

'To pull off this sort of world-wide opening when you self-distribute in so few territories takes a marketing triple lindy,' said Lions Gate Vice Chairman Michael Burns.

Many foreign distributors paid Lions Gate advances for rights to release the movie and the studio used that money to finance much of its production budget, which was close to $150 million. Such advances are typically based on a film's expected grosses in a given territory.

Mr. Burns said that 'Catching Fire' is on track to beat those estimates in many countries. That would provide Lions Gate with 'significant overages,' he said, an industry term for internationaldistribution fees paid above an initial advance.

'Catching Fire' performed particularly well in the U.K., where it grossed $20 million, more than 2½ times what 'The Hunger Games' made in its opening weekend; Germany, where it opened to $12.8 million, more than triple; and Australia, where it took in $11.5 million, a 21% rise.

Lions Gate didn't provide box office results from China, where the movie was beat by Warner Bros.' 3-D hit 'Gravity.'