Do international moviegoers have something against witchy Bffs Elphaba and Glinda, Michael Keaton’s Ghost with the Most and a band of fearless storm chasers led by Glen Powell?

If not, how do you explain that even though “Wicked,” “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Twisters” were domestic box office powerhouses, they weren’t as warmly received in overseas markets? The frostier reception is surprising because commercially successful tentpole films tend to earn at least 60% to 70% of ticket sales at the international box office, as was the case with this year’s “Inside Out 2” (62% of its $1.66 billion global gross came from international territories), “Dune: Part Two” (60.5% of its $714 million gross came from overseas), and “Kung Fu Panda 4” (67.7% of its $547 million gross came from abroad markets). “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was absolutely massive everywhere, was relatively even with 52.2% of its $1.33 billion in ticket sales from overseas. And more recently, “Gladiator II,” which...