DiCaprio, DiCaprio Thesp weighs in with top two pix at o'seas B.O. By DON GROVES, April 20, 1998

Just how hot is Leonardo DiCaprio overseas? Exhibs were trying in vain last week to remember the last time a star had two films in the No. 1 and 2 spots in a raft of territories.

Buoyed by the Easter break and school vacation in Europe and Australia, Titanic minted a whopping $46.8 million from 5,840 screens in 57 markets, propelling the foreign cume to $933.1 million.

At this rate, James Camerons blockbuster is likely to steam to $1 billion international by May 3, if not sooner.

DiCaprios other crowd-puller, The Man in the Iron Mask, hauled in $22 million from 19 territories, fueled by smash bows in Germany ($3.7 million on 440 screens), Spain ($3.3 million in eight days on 208) and Mexico ($1.4 million in six days on 189).

The swashbuckler reigned in Italy, snaring a dashing $8.5 million in 19 days and has carved up a robust $7.6 million in 14 days in France and a pleasing $2.4 million in ditto in Australia. Cume is $41.4 million.

Meanwhile, As Good as It Gets became only the third hit this year to gross $100 million abroad, and Lost in Space had a stellar foreign preem in Australia.

Bruce Willis proven B.O. appeal resulted in a good, but hardly exceptional, debut for Mercury Rising Down Under.

Titanic has amassed $176.6 million since the Academy Awards, but its momentum has been so phenomenal, its difficult to gauge the precise impact of its 11 Oscars. The period drama ranks as the first film in history to cross $100 million in the U.K., towering last week at $102.9 million.

In France, where its garnered $114 million, its now sold more tickets than any title in history, beating La Grande Vadrouille, which clocked 17.2 million way back in 1966. Japans tally is $118.3 million and Germany has $110.7 million. In China, Titanic widened from 127 to 324 screens and brought in $3 million for a spectacular $8.9 million in 12 days.

Since the Oscars, both As Good as It Gets and Good Will Hunting have grown another leg. James Brooks comedy collected about $10 million last week, elevating the cume to an estimated $104 million  $44 million of that since the awards. Miramaxs Good Will Hunting has nearly doubled its cume since the Oscars, jumping from $33.1 million to $65 million.

-- Dan Draghici (ddraghic@sprint.ca), April 20, 1998

Answers

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-- Thomas M. Terashima (titanicShack@yahoo.com), May 14, 1998.