The international box office success of James Hawes’ real-life drama One Life, featuring Anthony Hopkins, has made a significant impact through FilmNation’s distribution network, grossing $26 million and still climbing even before its U.S. release on March 15 by Bleecker Street.
Following its debut at TIFF, the biographical film depicting the story of Nicholas Winton, the British financier who rescued 669 children from the Nazis in Czechoslovakia, has resonated with audiences across various regions including the UK, France, Italy, and Australia.
The United Kingdom has notably emerged as a standout market, with the film raking in $12.46 million (or £9.79 million) since its premiere under Warner Bros on January 1, securing the second spot behind the blockbuster Wonka.
Having been in theaters for eight weeks, One Life has surpassed the cumulative earnings of local hits like Judy (£8.2 million), Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (£5 million), and The Father (£2.1 million).
FilmNation executives highlighted the film’s success in the UK, crediting strong word-of-mouth promotion that has led to weekday showings attracting significant audiences, at times even surpassing weekend box office numbers.
In France, the movie premiered through SND and despite facing competition from Paramount’s Bob Marley: One Love, it secured the second spot, drawing 358,692 viewers from 469 screens and earning \(2.84 million, with current earnings exceeding \)3.9 million.
The film’s viewership numbers in France are on par with major releases like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Elemental, surpassing the admissions of Killers Of The Flower Moon and even outperforming Hopkins’ previous film The Father.
In the Czech Republic, where the narrative holds significant historical relevance, One Life has garnered an impressive $552,000 (CZK 12.6 million) in just four weekends since its premiere on February 1 via Vertical.
The premiere events in the Czech Republic, reminiscent of the emotional TV show That’s Life from the late 1980s, saw Hawes inviting those saved by Winton to stand up, mirroring a touching moment where Winton reunited with the children he rescued from the Nazis in Prague in 1938.
Surviving members of Winton’s rescued children were actively involved in the film’s production, providing interviews and lending their support at various film festivals.
In Australia, One Life has grossed $3.2 million (AUD 4.74 million) after nine weekends since its release on December 26 through Transmission, surpassing the earnings of films like The Courier, The Duke, The Father, and Living.
Italy has contributed $2.7 million (€2.5 million) since its opening weekend on December 21 through Eagle, surpassing the earnings of local films like The Banshees Of Inisherin and The Father.
The movie also performed well in The Netherlands, reaching $1.2 million (€1.1 million) since its premiere on January 4 through The Searchers, surpassing the earnings of films like The Duke and The Children Act.
In New Zealand, the film opened at number three on December 26 via Transmission, grossing $1.1 million (NZD 1.7 million) to date, surpassing the earnings of films like The Father, Living, and The Duke.
Additionally, the film has seen success in Benelux, generating $170,000 including previews since its release on February 21 through The Searchers on 54 screens.
The international distribution of One Life extends to secondary markets such as Switzerland (Ascot Elite), South Africa (Filmfinity), Baltics (ACME), Greece (Spentzos Film), CIS (Exponenta), and Hungary (Vertical), with upcoming releases planned for Latin America, Scandinavia, Israel, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Japan.