Euro cold spell can't slow 'Ghost'

Inside a February. 3-5 weekend that saw a lot of northern Europe digging from under snowstorms, Paramount's "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol" collected $24.3 million, notching its third-straight frame atop the overseas box office (and fifth overall at the very top) and pushing the pic's worldwide take beyond the $400 million mark. Having a worldwide cume of $626 million, "Ghost Protocol" may be the greatest-grossing pic globally for Tom Cruise, whose previous best, "War from the Mobile phone industry's," made $591.7 million in 2005. "Ghost Protocol" is playing in 64 overseas marketplaces, including China, in which the film made around $20 million in 72 hours. That reps a 46% gain around the film's two-day opening the prior weekend, having a current local cume of $55.7 million. "Ghost Protocol" achieved positive results from the stockpile of screens in China -- roughly 3,000 -- in comparison along with other marketplaces like Italia, in which the pic tested at 367 locales for any weekend total of $1.six million, shedding an excellent 47% in the second outing, getting its local cume to $5.5 million. Also carrying out well overseas, twentieth century Fox's teen thriller "Chronicle" first showed in 3 3 areas for any three-day gross of $12.9 million. It bowed very best in the U.K., where it capped the chart, at $3.5 million, then Australia and Russia, which led $3.a million and $two million, correspondingly. Pic bowed at No. one in Oz, as well as in second-devote Russia. Cold temperature in The country would be a main factor for the reason that market's so-so results, specifically for family films like Disney's "The Muppets," which carried out slightly under anticipation, collecting just $a million on 360 screens. "The Muppets" collected a reported weekend total of $3.5 million, pushing the pic's offshore cume to $30.two million. Emilio Mayorga led for this report. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com