Warner Bros Pictures International stable-mates The Island and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory will be the ones to beat this weekendwith a slew of major market debuts.

Michael Bay's sci-fi action famously flopped when it launched inNorth America through DreamWorks, but its international prospects look adifferent story.

Currently standing at more than $42.3m from overseas theatres, the$120m plus picture was due to open in Mexico on Aug 10 followed by the UK onAug 12, where the presence of British star Ewan McGregor in the lead roleshould help it to a solid opening.

The Islandalso opens the same day in Russia, and as last year's hit run of TimurBekmambetov's Night Watch proved, the Russians like their sci-fi action pictures.

Meanwhile, Charliewas due to open in Germany on Aug 11 and Spain a day later and has wastedlittle time in reaching $67.3m since it launched several weeks ago.

Latest figures released by Warner Bros executives put BatmanBegins on more than$160.2m and House Of Wax on more than $35.2m.

Among the other studios, BuenaVista International opens Sin Cityin Germany on Aug 11 and Spain a day later, looking to add to its $28minternational haul to date.

Thriller Dark Water opens in director Walter Salles' homeland of Brazil on Aug 12. Stillin the early days of release, the picture has grossed $4.2m to date.

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy opens in Italy on Aug 12 and has taken$44.2m so far, while Herbie: Fully Loaded stands at $33m and opens in South Africa on Aug 12 andTaiwan on Aug 13.

Fox International opens Fantastic Four in South Korea on Aug 12 on 251 prints,and executives are looking for a solid launch to boost the Marvel Comicsadaptation's $127.2m running total. Italy, Japan and China are still to open.

Perfect Catch, known in North America as Fever Pitch, opens in its first international marketof the UK on Aug 12 on 300 screens. Directed by the Farrelly brothers, the filmis an Americanised remake of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch novel, with baseballmania substituting for soccer madness.

The book inspired its own British film in 1997, with Colin Firthstarring as an Arsenal fanatic; it opened in seventh place on $746,052 on 223screens in April.

The new version has diehard Boston Red Sox supporter Jimmy Fallontrying to woo Drew Barrymore. It will be interesting to see how Britishaudiences take to this Hollywood treatment.

Mr And Mrs Smith, which was sold through Summit, has taken $190.6m through alldistributors and is going great guns in France, where it ranks number one aftertwo weekends after raking in a mighty $12.3m through SND.

I Heart Huckabee's gets a wide release in Spain on 190 screens on Aug 12.

Sony Pictures Releasing International opens Bewitched in Mexico on Aug 12 on 350; to date the picture hasgrossed $7.2m from Australia.

Kung Fu Hustle opens Down Under on Aug 11 on 107 screens and stands at $80.6m,while Stealth has noscheduled openings and has sold $13.4m in international tickets to date. TheLongest Yard stands at$15.4m.

Paramount's War Of The Worlds has amassed $327.3m through UIP to date and has launched inevery major market. DreamWorks International's Madagascar stands at $227.8m.

Paramount's family remake Bad News Bears opens in the UK on Aug 12 through UIPand is in the embryonic stages of its international run.

Universal's comedy Kicking And Screaming opens in Australia on Aug 11. The Gothicthriller Skeleton Keyhas grossed $7.5m to date and launches in North America this weekend.