Films Made In The USA Find More Foreign Success

This summer, like every summer, the multiplex is full of sequels to movies that some might say barely deserved a first pass. Why must we suffer anew? Apparently international tastes are more forgiving.

Despicable Me (2010)

• 46.3%

  Domestic revenue*

• 53.7%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  Despicable Me 2: July 3

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

• 48.2 %

  Domestic revenue*

• 51.8%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  The Wolverine: July 26

Percy Jackson & The Olympians (2010)

• 39.2%

  Domestic revenue*

• 60.8%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: August 7

Red (2010)

• 45.4%

  Domestic revenue*

• 54.6%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  Red 2: July 19

Smurfs (2011)

• 25.3%

  Domestic revenue*

• 74.7%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  Smurfs 2: July 31

Cars 2 (2011)

• 34.2%

  Domestic revenue*

• 65.8%

  Foreign revenue

• Sequel:

  Planes: August 9

*Proportion of total box office receipts, according to boxofficemojo.com

Everett Collection (Despicable Me)

A version of this article appeared in the July/August 2013 issue of Fast Company magazine.