A modest overseas return for ‘The Blind Side’

Extra points “The Blind Side” is no blockbuster overseas.The inspirational football drama that won Sandra Bullock an Academy Award shocked many in Hollywood by racking up $255.6 million at the domestic box office after its November debut.After several weeks in key foreign countries, however, it’s performing much more modestly, selling $38.9-million worth of tickets. Top markets have included Australia, where it has grossed $11.4 million over seven weeks; Great Britain, where it collected $7 million in three weeks; and Germany, where it brought in $5 million over three weeks.Alcon and Warner had not initially scheduled any international releases for the film, encountering minimal interest from foreign exhibitors based on the very American subject matter of football.That it has brought in even a small amount of money from foreign countries counts as something of a surprise, based on the movie’s prospects before it opened five months ago, and is almost entirely because of buzz from its U.S. run and Bullock’s Oscar victory. And since the picture, which cost just $35 million, is already profitable based solely on its domestic performance, any revenue from overseas is essentially gravy.-- Ben Fritz