Weekend Actuals for April 20-22, 2001 – ‘Bridget Jones’ Takes the Top Spot, ‘Crocodile Dundee’ and ‘Freddy Got Fingered’ Flop

[And here’s Variety’s overseas report.](https://variety.com/2001/film/box-office/swelling-o-seas-b-o-1117797713/)

#**OVERSEAS: Swelling o’seas B.O.**

**’Mexican,’ ‘Miss’** spark sluggish markets

Amid generally listless spring trading, **“The Mexican”** debuted at No. 1 in Japan and Italy, and **“Miss Congeniality”** wowed Mexico and Sweden over weekend, while no freshmen could challenge the ascendancy of holdovers in most other markets.

The U.K. rocked, driven chiefly by **“Bridget Jones’s Diary,”** which racked up $6.1 million in its soph session on 421 prints (slipping just 10%) for a territory cume of $21.4 million. The Renee Zellweger-Hugh Grant starrer is tracking 23% ahead of **“Notting Hill”** in the same frame and might have enough legs to match the latter’s eventual gross of £30 million ($44 million).

Also stimulating biz in Blighty is **“Spy Kids,”** which jumped by 31%, nabbing $1.8 million on 405, hoisting its 10-day tally to $5.8 million. In its first foreign tryout, **“The Tailor of Panama,”** John Boorman’s spy thriller toplining Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush, dressed up a reasonable $410,000 on 113 in the U.K., where **“The Hole,”** Pathe’s lottery-funded teen chiller, was D.O.A. with $972,000 on 322.

#**‘Mexican’s’ guns blazing**

Gore Verbinski’s **“The Mexican”** stole a nifty $2.3 million in two days on 242 in Japan and $1.8 million in three days on 324 in Italy. The big challenge for the Brad Pitt-Julia Roberts starrer will be to maintain momentum better than it has in Mexico (tumbling by 39%, earning $1.9 million in 11 days), Argentina (plunging by 61% for $534,000 in the same frame) and Israel (down 55%, tallying $406,000 in 11).

**“Hannibal”** dished up $2.1 million in its third course on 357 in Japan (sliding 35%), minting $15.8 million to date; its cume hit $154.3 million.

**“Miss Congeniality”** levitated to $64.5 million on the back of a $7.3 million frame on 2,600 screens in 37 markets. The Sandra Bullock starrer courted $1.2 million on 230 in Mexico (78% ahead of **“Erin Brockovich”** and 50% up on **“Notting Hill”**) and $214,000 on 50 in Sweden (beating **“Meet the Parents’”** bow by 18%). The WB-Village Roadshow pic still reigned in its fourth lap in Germany, cuming $12.4 million.

**“Enemy at the Gates”** took an OK $577,000 on 177 in Italy, according to a service that monitors 75% of the B.O., and $323,000 on 46 in Taiwan, in the latter blitzed by **“15 Minutes,”** which initialed with $517,000 on 40.

The Robert De Niro starrer’s cume is a paltry $14.7 million from 17 territories, with France’s $4.6 million through its third weekend the best result.

**“The Emperor’s New Groove”** climbed to $60.6 million, paced by France’s $5.3 million through its fourth round, and Mexico’s $4.9 million, Italy’s $3.8 million and Australia’s $2.5 million, all after its third. Another holiday fave, **“Rugrats in Paris,”** has rustled up $18 million in 13 countries, including $8.8 million in 17 days in the U.K. and $3 million in 18 days in Australia.

#**Aussie reception**

Simon Wincer’s **“Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles”** had a jolly second sojourn in Oz, easing by 9%, collecting $2.3 million in 11 days, helped by lousy weather and the school vacation. **“Exit Wounds”** landed Down Under, in its foreign launch, with a solid $606,000 on 147.

**“Dr. T and the Women,”** romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Helen Hunt, wooed $753,000 on 216 in Spain, per a report that tracks 80% of national receipts; same report had **“The Gift’s”** entry at $570,000 on 160.

**“Men of Honor”** notched one of its stronger bows to date in Spain amid a generally soft foreign voyage, mustering $742,000 on 240; its cume is $20.4 million. In France, auds shunned **“Remember the Titans”** ($14.4 million cume, with Japan the only major market ahead) and **“Dude, Where’s My Car?”** ($22.3 million cume; still to play in Sweden, Taiwan and Italy).

It’s sad You Me and Tuscany was released by the studio that allow many of his female properties go down: Bridget, Fifty shades (so many similar trilogies could’ve been tied in to Fifty Freed) wicked .

No stars, no budget, bad promo , no reach to skincare and book influencers .