Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" continued to rock on Thursday at the international box office, grossing $25.7 million as it expanded into 27 additional markets and bringing its two-day total to $44.2 million from 37 territories.
In the U.S., "On Stranger Tides" earned $4.7 million in Thursday midnight runs from 2,210 theaters, a strong showing. By comparison, "Fast Five" made $3.8 million in midnights from 1,104 theaters on its way to a $86.2 million weekend debut. "On Stranger Tides" also did bigger midnight business than "Thor" ($3.3 million), "Avatar" ($3.5 million) or "Tron: Legacy" ($3.6 million).
The last film in the franchise, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," debuted to $114.7 million domestically, and Disney is hoping "On Stranger Tides" will open to at least $100 million, although tracking suggests a launch of between $90 million and $100 million.
Internationally, "On Stranger Tides" is pacing 10 percent ahead of where "Pirate
s of the Caribbean: At World's End," the last film in the blockbuster franchise, was at in its first two days at the foreign box office. That means "On Stranger Tides" could gross $150 million or more in its international debut.
Many territories open films either on Wednesday or Thursday, versus the traditional Friday in the U.S.
"On Stranger Tides" is doing staggering business in Russia, where it opened on Wednesday to a record-breaking $5 million. On Thursday, it grossed another $5.2 million. The two-day total is 365 percent ahead of "At World's End."
In the U.S., "On Stranger Tides," which cost $250 million to make, moves into a total of 4,155 theaters on Friday, including 256 IMAX theaters, a record number for the large format exhibitor.