International
Fourth of July weekend garners $229 mn for domestic BO
MUMBAI: As predicted fireworks blazed at the Fourth of July box office which headed to $229 million (mn) domestic through Sunday (+16 per cent from last year) and a new three-day weekend record for the holiday. But there was only bad news for Disney‘s expensive The Lone Ranger (3,904 theaters) which opened disastrously Wednesday, remained weak on Thursday, did only $10.6 mn Friday, and flatlined for $10.7 mn Saturday. That‘s a very disappointing five-day holiday of $48.9 mn max. The two-quadrant Western won‘t cover its high $215 mn-$250 mn cost despite this holiday‘s 4x multiple. The Johnny Depp – Armie Hammer starrer‘s domestic cume is way below.
Disney‘s initial lowball projection of $65 mn and the third big-budget bomb of summer 2013. (Two Sony pics – White House Down and After Earth – also were expensive bombs.) As Deadline first reported, the studio in August 2011 shut down Lone Ranger for six months after the budget ballooned out of control. Disney would have been better off scraping the pic altogether. Depp‘s worldwide popularity may help overseas where oaters usually don‘t excel.Lone Ranger opened day and date in 30 per cent of the foreign landscape but only four big markets: Italy and Russia (released 2 July) and Australia and Korea (4 July). It made $24.3 mn internationally for a global cume of $73.2 mn through Sunday.
The result for the no 1 movie was far different, Illumination Entertainment‘s and Universal‘s Despicable Me 2 (3,957 theaters) which only cost a very reasonable $76 mn. It is the no 1 film in the world this weekend, opening atop the US and Canadian box office with a record-breaking estimated gross of $142.1 mn. The 3D toon posted the biggest five-day opening for an animated film and the top three-day animated opening in July (earning $82.5 mn).
Internationally, its gross widened to 6,849 dates in 45 territories to total $151.1 mn. The combined global cume is $293.2 mn. This marks Universal‘s second biggest international opening weekend ever behind Fast & Furious 6 ($161M). Not only is DM2 performing well ahead of the original film globally but also on par with such toon franchise megahits as Toy Story 3, Ice Age 4, Madagascar 3 and Shrek 4. And the sequel‘s opening is among the top animated openings of all time in every market.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
