Director Ron Howard’s Inferno is a sequel to The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons that’s based on Dan Brown’s best-selling book series.
Tom Hanks reprises his role as Robert Langdon in the film, which debuted to a strong $50 million from its first 53 markets two weeks before launching in the U.S. Felicity Jones co-stars.
Sony pegs Inferno‘s budget at $75 million, half the cost of Angels & Demons, which was released in 2009. Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons did far more business offshore than domestically, and the same is expected for Inferno (Brian Grazer is producer of the series). Following the movie’s worldwide premiere in Florence, Italy led all other territories with $5 million. So far, Inferno is pacing ahead of recent action-thriller Jason Bourne.
“This franchise has always been an big international play. So to have this kind of success with some very big markets yet to come, including China, portends great things,” said Sony domestic chief Rory Bruer.