The Day The Earth Stood Still took the top spot on the international box-office chart for the December 12-14 weekend, giving Fox International its first number-one debut in five years. Opening day-and-date in 90 territories in addition to North America, the sci-fi remake took $39.2m from 7,715 screens, giving it a screen average of $5,000.

The film beat all competition in 53 of the territories it played, including the UK where, including previews, it grossed $4.2m from 465 screens, Russia ($5.6m from 721), Spain ($3.2m from 464) and Italy ($2.4m from 448).

In other territories, however, Keanu Reeves and his robot were not enough to overpower Paramount Pictures International's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. The DreamWorks Animation adventure stayed top in territories including France, Germany and Mexico, adding $34.3m three-day takings to its cumulative gross of $173.8m from seven weeks on international release.

Earth Stood Still has yet to open in key territories including Japan (December 19), South Korea (December 24), Australia (December 26) and Brazil (January 9).

The highest non-US entry of the weekend was Aditya Chopra's Bollywood hit Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, starring Shahrukh Khan, in fourth place. With Yash Raj Films distributing in 19 territories, the film grossed $8.4m across 1,095 screens, taking the second-highest screen average of the week with $7,700 per screen.

Warner Bros' Inkheart entered the chart at number 13, after launching in third and fourth place in Germany ($1.9m from 804 screens) and the UK ($1.1m from 410 screens) respectively, a screen average of $3,100 overall. Inkheart is a fantasy adventure based on Cornelia Funke's children's books and features a cast headed by Brendan Fraser, Paul Bettany and Helen Mirren. It is rolling out internationally before opening in North America on January 23.

ANALYSIS: INTERNATIONAL BOX-OFFICE WEEKEND DECEMBER 12-14
(Last3-day
week)Film (origin)gross $ScrsCume $Terr
1NewThe Day The Earth Stood Still (US)$39,218,4097,715$39,218,40990
2(1)Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (US)$34,322,5055,168$173,781,60543
3(2)Twilight (US)$11,865,0712,556$55,467,59124
4NewRab Ne Bana Di Jodi (Ind)$8,424,1391,095$8,424,13919
5(3)Quantum Of Solace (US-UK)$5,055,4093,892$367,375,85866
6(4)Bolt (US)$4,941,6411,916$28,685,85811
7(7)Wall-E (US)$4,570,938738$277,641,28112
8(30)Burn After Reading (US-UK-Fr)$4,442,5931,049$79,575,35825
9(11)Four Christmases (US)$4,049,5191,136$15,936,63317
10(6)Forever Enthralled (Ch)$4,017,5901,171$12,130,2832
11(15)Australia (Aus-US)$3,871,3551,048$14,656,2335
12(8)A.R.O.G. (Tur)$3,476,096535$15,676,0666
13NewInkheart (US-Ger-UK)$3,085,149992$3,085,1491
14(17)Overspeed Scandal (S Kor)$3,042,351390$7,725,8011
15(5)Transporter 3 (US-Fr)$3,026,0951,519$24,439,07710
16(9)High School Musical 3: Senior Year (US)$2,759,3772,103$145,179,88932
17(10)Body Of Lies (US)$2,682,3622,183$60,445,52751
18(16)Valley Of The Wolves: Muro (Turk)$2,587,268342$9,635,1995
19NewAll About Women (Ch)$2,266,0291,156$2,266,0293
20NewIp Man (Ch)$2,195,3001,275$2,918,5001
21(13)Changeling (US)$1,976,689983$22,535,3219
22(12)Agathe Clery (Fr)$1,875,665515$6,190,5393
23(18)252: Signal Of Life (Jap)$1,864,535341$6,286,0641
24NewBleach: Fade To Black (Jap)$1,679,634239$1,679,6341
25(32)The Women (US)$1,658,684876$18,921,34514
26NewMajor: The Pitch Of Friendship (Jap)$1,646,757311$1,646,7571
27(19)Vicky Cristina Barcelona (US-Sp)$1,542,280713$50,182,08321
28NewSecrets Of State (Fr)$1,525,064260$1,525,0641
29(22)Red Cliff Part One (Ch)$1,494,426533$117,649,0931
30(14)Saw V (US)$1,262,318967$46,851,91724
31NewA Pain In The Ass (Fr)$1,207,578631$1,207,5783
32NewAs God Commands (It)$1,188,648247$1,188,6481
33(23)Public Enemy Number One: Part 2 (Fr-Can-It)$1,154,349580$13,646,0224
34(25)I'd Rather Be A Shellfish (Jap)$1,153,286330$17,468,2051
35(20)New Year's Tariff (Rus)$1,068,414501$3,099,6261
36(21)Anything For Her (Fr)$1,012,002271$3,176,7701
37NewMia Mia And The Migoo (Fr)$830,882304$830,8821
38(33)Mr Tadano's Secret Mission: From Japan ... (Jap)$634,349267$2,462,5431
39(37)Welcome To The Sticks (Fr)$613,678402$229,388,8467
40(40)Happy Flight (Jap)$593,936309$12,629,6751
* Re-entry (c) Screen International, compiled by Leonard Klady