Cruise's New Movie Outdoes First Two Overseas

More info on the international bow of Tom Cruise's "M:I:III." As I reported yesterday, it grossed $70.3 million overseas -- the highest total yet overseas for the franchise (and also leading to the highest opening worldwide gross of $113 million). That's not really a surprise given wider openings, etc. But the first one grossed $53.5 million overseas and the second one grossed $57.4 million. Even taking into account the six year gap, ticket price increases and presumably a wider launch, that is still a very impressive jump in sales. A Hollywood Reporter columnist writes about the glee the media (and perhaps the public) took in reporting the opening weekend numbers. He blames the "weak" bow on the studio opening the film on a non-holiday weekend. If it had opened on a holiday weekend like the first two, we wouldn't be having this conversation. That's certainly one more reason the opener was softer. But here's another: IT'S A SEQUEL. Sequels tend to cost more and make less, certainly by the time you get to the third one. This is not a referendum on Cruise -- it's simply how movie franchises work. He would have done better to write about how the Traditional Media got it wrong.