Overseas haul for 6 majors to hit $12.7Bn for 2010 (THR, SCR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

According to The Hollywood Reporter, preliminary studio projections have Warner Bros. reaching $2.92 billion in overseas ticket sales for 2010 in a last-minute tie with Fox. Led by "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1" ($610 million), "Inception" ($531 million), "Clash of the Titans" ($330 million) and "Sherlock Holmes" ($315 million), Warners experienced a 55% jump in foreign box office this year.

Driven by "Avatar," Fox International sold a projected $2.9 billion, Screen reports. Among other pics to score internationally for Fox were "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader" at $196 million and counting and "Knight and Day," which scored $186.2 million in its final tally.

In total, studio estimates show offshore box office for the six majors will reach $12.7 billion, up almost 20% from 2009's record $10.7 billion, according to THR.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International hit a company record with $2.3 billion in annual overseas ticket sales, says Screen.

2010 marks the 16th year in a row that Disney has crossed $1 billion overseas and was steered in large part by a $690.2 million take for "Alice In Wonderland." Following closely behind was "Toy Story 3" with $649.2 million.

Paramount had $1.983 billion in overseas revs for its second-biggest year ever thanks to "Shrek Forever After" ($505 million), "How to Train Your Dragon" ($277.5 million) and "Iron Man 2" ($311 million).

Sony grossed $1.38 billion offshore. Per THR, its top hits were "Resident Evil: Afterlife" ($236 million), "Salt" ($175.7 million), "The Karate Kid" update ($182.5 million) and "The Social Network," which has yet to open in Japan.

Universal reported a projected year-end tally of $1.2 billion -- roughly the same result was it reported for 2009, Screen notes. U's "Despicable Me" led the way with $291 million followed by "Robin Hood" at $215 million.

Notably, this year marked the first time that as many as three Hollywood majors posted more than $2 billion in foreign box office.

Per THR:

All this was accomplished despite the fact that "admissions have been more or less flat internationally versus 2009," one international executive noted. What made the difference was a more than doubling of the number of 3D titles released abroad at steeper ticket prices, thus yielding a roughly 35% 3D ticket surcharge.

"2010 was certainly the year when 3D had a major impact on box office, with eight of the top 15 international titles (presented) in 3D," Andrew Cripps, president of Paramount Pictures International, told THR.

As a result, Cripps said, "International box office averaged 167% of the domestic total across the Top 20 highest-grossing international films of the year."

Here, THR has the lowdown on the indie distribs that also fared well overseas as well as a look at certain territories.