EuropaCorp’s action thriller opened in France on $13.2m (€9.9m) last week to deliver the biggest debut for an English-language release so far in 2014 and propel the overall international running total to $31.4m.

Lucy generated 1.5m admissions over the weekend and produced the second biggest launch of the year-to-date in France behind Danny Boon’s Superchondriaque

The debut also scored EuropaCorp’s biggest ever result for an English-language release and Scarlett Johansson’s top French launch.

Elsewhere, Lucy opened top in Belgium on $1.3m (€950,000) for the biggest debut of the year so far and a career high for writer-director Luc Besson.

The film opened at number one in the Netherlands where it stands at $1.7m.

Thirty-four screens in Hong Kong delivered $910,000 to rank top and beat Guardians Of The Galaxy in its second weekend and see off the debut of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Combined with $15.3m from Universal markets, the early international running total stands at $31.4m and the worldwide haul including $97.5m from North America has reached $128.9m.