A week before its American debut, the feature film version of Mamma Mia! enjoyed a strong opening in Europe and Australia, according to Variety. The movie grossed $24 million on just 1,368 screens in a dozen territories for a strong $17,536 per-location average.
In the U.K., where the stage version debuted, Mamma Mia! took in $13.2 million and 34% share, making it the top British launch for a musical. In Australia , the movie took in $5.2 million and a 28% share.
In Scandinavia—home to ABBA, composers of the show's hit-filled score—the film took in $1.6 million in Sweden, $1.3 million in Denmark and $635,000 in Norway.
Variety noted that musicals generally do less well overseas than other types of films, but Mamma Mia! seems likely to buck that trend, thanks to the massive success of the nine-year-old stage version, the upbeat storyline and an international cast including Meryl Streep and the trio of Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard as the three potential dads of her engaged daughter.
In addition to its U.S. opening, Mamma Mia! will open the weekend of July 18 in Austria, Germany and Holland.
