As we move into the fall season, the sun still shines on French cinema in foreign theaters. In September, several French language films pursued their fine careers in new territories, while Lucy continued to break attendance records.
| Rank | Title | No. of Admissions | B.O. Revenues | No. of Prints | No. of Countries | Total Revenues |
| 1 | Lucy | 12,094,704 | €61,417,388 | 6,388 | 33 | 40,334,872 |
| 2 | Serial (Bad) Weddings | 896,165 | €7,019,262 | 1,023 | 11 | 4,432,166 |
| 3 | Beauty and the Beast | 522,891 | €1,905,662 | NC | 3 | 2,922,322 |
| 4 | Nicholas on Holiday | 153,567 | €644,827 | 246 | 5 | 875,327 |
| 5 | Yves Saint Laurent | 128,840 | €1,076,303 | 188 | 5 | 913,714 |
| 6 | Before the Winter Chill | 35,830 | €210,394 | 47 | 1 | 145,000 |
| 7 | Superchondriac | 33,389 | €166,452 | 210 | 3 | 1,046,063 |
| 8 | Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants | 27,227 | €120,990 | 126 | 5 | 1,844,629 |
| 9 | Gemma Bovery | 27,180 | €237,106 | 117 | 5 | 27,180 |
| 10 | Grace of Monaco | 26,952 | €137,853 | 47 | 2 | 2,413,907 |
| 11 | French Women | 26,492 | €113,723 | 82 | 3 | 138,391 |
| 12 | Barbecue | 26,455 | €164,532 | 69 | 4 | 173,196 |
| 13 | My Summer in Provence | 24,003 | €181,969 | 125 | 4 | 48,072 |
| 14 | Cinema Paradiso | 21,832 | €108,145 | 100 | 2 | NC |
| 15 | The Finishers | 20,533 | €131,065 | 83 | 2 | 52,359 |
| 16 | Clouds of Sils Maria | 19,221 | €193,447 | 51 | 3 | 23,952 |
| 17 | 3 Hearts | 19,060 | €152,343 | 35 | 3 | 19,060 |
| 18 | Diplomacy | 11,971 | €91,503 | 73 | 4 | 75,132 |
| 19 | Attila Marcel | 9,639 | €56,429 | 26 | 3 | 178,185 |
| 20 | Love Is the Perfect Crime | 9,438 | €60,910 | 27 | 1 | 37,396 |
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During September 2014, the performance of French cinema abroad was due, on the one hand, to several French-language films, whose careers continued successfully in new territories (Serial (Bad) Weddings, Beauty and the Beast, Minuscule…), and on the other, to Lucy, which continues its hold on the international box office. Five French films attracted more than 100,000 spectators to foreign theaters this month.
Serial (Bad) Weddings crossed the 3-million-spectator mark in Germany and is now approaching 5 million admissions abroad. The film also enjoyed an excellent run in other German-language territories (Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, etc.) in September.
Beauty and the Beast enjoyed a multi-print release in China and successfully pursues its career, which began at the beginning of 2014. The same can be said for Yves Saint Laurent, which has charmed Japanese spectators, and Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants, which has found its audience in Latin America.
Thanks to successful releases in Russia, Italy and Mexico, Lucy crossed the 40-million-admissions threshold in international territories at the end of September and became the second most successful French film recorded by Unifrance in theaters abroad.
Spotlight on a selection of standout majority French film titles in September 2014
The best performance of a French-language film in 2014 maintains its fine form abroad. Continuing to be among the top 3 weekly titles in Germany (Neue Visionen), Serial (Bad) Weddings had pulled in 3 million spectators by the end of September. Even more important, the film is now No. 1 at the German box office in terms of admissions, outstripping American blockbusters!
Several months after its success in French-speaking Switzerland, Frenetic Films released Serial (Bad) Weddings in German-speaking Switzerland, where the film has already appealed to 88,000 spectators in one month from a maximum of 28 prints. In Austria (Filmladen), with 349,000 admissions by the end of the month, the film has achieved the third best performance of a French-language film ever recorded by Unifrance, in the footsteps of The Intouchables (763,000 admissions) and Asterix and Obelix versus Cesar (Constantin Film – 435,000 admissions). Serial (Bad) Weddings had accumulated 4.6 admissions in 16 foreign territories by the end of September 2014.
A very fine launch for Yves Saint Laurent in Japan. Released by Kadokawa Corporation on fifty screens, the film generated revenues of more than JPY50 million in the first 10 days after its release, being about 40,000 admissions. This figure broke the weekly admissions record at the single-screen Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho in Tokyo. By the end of September, the film had racked up more than 80,000 admissions in this territory. This is further proof of Japanese spectators' liking for biopics about the great names of the French fashion industry – we recall the 630,000 spectators who came out to see Coco Before Chanel, released by Warner Bros. in 2009. By the end of September, Yves Saint Laurent had registered 913,000 admissions in 23 international territories.
Beauty and the Beast released in Chinese theaters (Huaxia) and clocked up 340,000 admissions from 3,400 prints in the first week of its release, rising to 6th place at the local box office. By the end of September, the film had registered 520,000 admissions, with a total of 2.9 admissions (outside France). Its most notable performances have been achieved in Italy (Notorious Pictures – 800,000 admissions), Russia (West Video – 645,000 admissions), and South Korea (Next Entertainment World – 314,000 admissions).
After gathering 800,000 spectators in China (China Film Corporation), Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants charmed audiences in a territory rarely favorable to French productions: Bolivia! Released by Multicine in five theaters, the film from the Futurikon studio attracted 17,000 spectators in 4 weeks, being an excellent spectator average per site. This figure makes it the best performance of a French-language film, all genres combined, in this territory in the last 5 years. Up until now, French animation had been represented by A Monster in Paris (Multicine – 7000 admissions) and the minority coproduction Sammy 2 (Manfer – 8000 admissions). This is an encouraging result and confirms the appeal French animation holds for South American spectactors, with Mexico being the fifth export territory for the genre over the past 15 years.
Lucy crossed the 40-million-admissions threshold in theaters abroad and became the second most successful French film abroad recorded by Unifrance, ahead of The Fifth Element (35.7 million admissions). Luc Besson hence broke his own record and, at the end of September, his latest film rose to the top ranking for a French film in Mexico (Universal – 3.5 million admissions), Taiwan (Universal – 1.4 million), Turkey (Universal – 840,000), and Romania(Ro-Image 2000 – 220,000).
In Russia (Universal), the film attracted 2.5 million spectators in 10 days from a thousand prints. The day of its release, the film represented 39.5% of the sessions in the country's 8 biggest theater chains. The same weekend, Lucy produced 73% of Moscow's admissions. By the end of September, Lucy had broached 3 million admissions, sideswiping Taxi 4 (Central Partnership), and hence became the most successful French title recorded by Unifrance in Russia.
At the end of September, Lucy released in Italy (Universal) and easily took top position at the local box office, with 513,000 spectators from 504 prints. It will soon be the second French film to garner a million admisions in 2014 in this territory, after Belle and Sébastien, which caused a surprise in February with 1,2 million admissions. The film has hence embellished an already excellent year for French productions in Italy, which had racked up 4.5 million tickets sold by the end of September, and a final total that should near 6 million admissions, an attendance level reached only two times since the beginning of 2000 (in 2002 and 2012). Lucy is now only 8 million admissions away from the absolute record held by Taken 2. We'll watch this space when the 3D version of the film releases in China at the end of October!
Other notable releases this month: Before the Winter Chill in Spain (Golem Distribución), French Women in Poland (Best Film Co), Hippocrates in Belgium (Les Films de l'Elysée), Love at First Fight inFrench-speaking Switzerland (Filmcoopi), Lulu in the Nude in Quebec (Montreal - Quebec) (Les Films Séville), and Bird People in the USA (IFC Films).
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