There was to be no dislodging Black Swan from its overseas berth as Fox International’s Oscar nominee held on to the crown thanks to an estimated $17.2m weekend haul. Meanwhile there was a sensational $9.2m debut for Universal-Working Title’s Paul in the UK.

The psychodrama currently stands at $98m internationally and $199.5m worldwide. It proved too strong for the competition in Spain, where $3m from 296 was good enough to secure the number one spot. Italy generated $1.4m from 258 in third place in its first weekend.

France led the holdovers as $3.8m from 338 secured a number two ranking and boosted the tally to $9.8m after two weekends. Germany produced $1.4m from 526 for $15.4m after five, the UK generated $1.1m from 444 for $22.8m after five and Mexico produced $1m from 355 for $5.1m after two.

Comedy Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son opened on 727 screens in 10 markets for $4.2m led by the UK on $2.4m from 380 in fourth place.

127 Hours ventured into 16 new territories this weekend and grossed $4.9m. The highlight was South Korea on $798,000 from 235 and the overall running total stands at $12.6m.

Gulliver’s Travels added $5m for $156.9m and The Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader grossed $503,025 for $276.3m.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International’s (WDSMPI) Tangled continued to spin a remarkable story at the box office. The family film grossed $12.1m from 5,210 screens in 52 territories for $328m to rank as Disney’s seventh biggest animation overseas and 15th in the all-time pantheon.

Tangledadded $3.2m in Spain from 612 for $14.2m and stayed top for the third consecutive weekend in a row to overtake the final tallies of How To Train Your Dragon and Despicable Me. It grossed $2.1m in the UK from 523 for $24.4m after one month and remained the number one attraction in Sweden for the third weekend in a row as $924,000 from 217 boosted the score to $4.6m. The Japanese debut is set for Mar 12.

Tron: Legacy plundered a further $4.4m from 1,958 from 54 for $219.8m in a weekend result powered by French cinema-goers who raised the Gallic tally by $2.5m to $7.7m after 12 days. 

Gnomeo And Juliet grossed $3.9m from 675 screens for $4.4m through WDSMPI and opened at number one in Australia on $2m. The film has generated $62.2m worldwide including Pathe International territories.

Disney release its first DreamWorks film pursuant to its global distribution deal with that studio and reported that the action film I Am Number Four grossed $3.3m on 527 screens in eight markets. Thailand produced $1m from 100 while Italy generated $751,000 from 250.

The Russian rom-com Vikrutasi opened at number one on $5.2m from 275 screens and is being released jointly oversees through WDSMPI and Sony Pictures Releasing International. Timur Bekmambetov produced and Milla Jovovich stars. Red added $700,000 in Japan through WDSMPI from 297 for $13.2m. 

Universal pulled off the third biggest launch of the year-to-date in the UK excluding previews with Paul, the latest comedy from Working Title, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The alien mystery homage stormed to number one in the UK through UPI on $9.2m (£5.7m). It opened on Feb 14 with four days of previews and is well positioned heading into half-term holidays.

Paularrives in France on Mar 2, the US on Mar 18 and Russia on Mar 24 and will spread across the rest of the world over the next several months.

Sony Pictures Releasing International reported that TheGreenHornet added a further $8.2m over the weekend from 6,000 screens in 68 markets to raise the tally to $122.1m. The action release wowed crowds in Brazil with a $1.9m number one launch on 402 and added $3.3m in China from 3,000 to boost the score after two weekends to a mighty $18.3m.  It fell 26% and ranks second.  Australia and Mexico have generated $9.3m and $7.7m after five weekends.

GK Films’ The Tourist grossed $6.1m from 3,200 in 56 for $178.9m, a tremendous achievement that derives most of its fuel these days from China. The romantic mystery stayed top in its second weekend thanks to $4.5m from 2,000 that pushed the running total to $11.9m.

Just Go With It grossed $4.6m from 1,017 in 19 markets for an early $13.4m running total. It added $1.8m in the UK from 350 for $6.3 after two weekends and $1.5m in Mexico from 501 for $4.6m and second place, also after two weekends.

No Strings Attached grossed $10m through PPI from 1,820 sites in 32 markets as the running total climbed to $21m. The rom-com opened in nine territories led by France on $2.6m from 292 and Germany on $1.8m on 327. The film added $1.5m in Australia from 213 for $5m after two weekends and arrives in the UK and Mexico next weekend.

True Grit opened in 20 markets and also grossed $10m from 2,534 venues in 37 territories for an early $29m. The biggest launch came from Italy on $1.5m from 287 and it opened top in Norway on $404,000 from 80. A strong $2.4m hold in the UK from 378 hoisted the cumulative tally to $7.3m after two, while Spain generated $1.3m from 296 for $3.9m.

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never opened in the UK on $1.5m from 387 and will doubtless benefit from the half-term holidays. The King’s Speech has crossed $100m overseas through FilmNation licensees – and more than $200m worldwide – and added $1.1m in Australia from 224 for a stunning $23.7m running total.

In its third weekend in the UK The Fighter grossed $909,000 from 377 for $8.3m. Paranormal Activity 2 added $575,000 from 169 in its second weekend in Japan for $2.9m and stands at $90.3m internationally overall.

  • Yogi Bear grossed $10m through Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) from 4,300 screens in 44 territories and has reached $76m. The family film debuted in Spain on $1.8m from 312 and in its second weekend in the UK added $2.2m from 467 for $6.3m. A further $1.4m in Mexico from 970 boosted the tally after three weekends to $8.6m.

New Line’s horror film The Rite took $6.2m from 1,500 screens in 15 territories and stands at an early $10.7m. An excellent $2.9m number one Mexican launch on 727 screens will have buoyed executives.

German title Kokowaah continued its mighty run in German-speaking Europe after amassing $6.1m for $30m. The film held on to number one in Germany on $5.2m from 762 sites for $26m. Kokowaah is a Barefoot Films production in co-production with Bela Jarzyk Production and Warner Bros Film Productions Germany.

This weekend’s number one North American film Unknown took $4.7m from 1,000 screens in 11 territories, led by $1.7m in Australia from 198, $1.3m in South Korea from 158 and $854,000 in Russia on 369.

Clint Eastwood’s supernatural drama Hereafter earned $4.5m from more than 1,800 screens in 34 territories and stands at $62.8m. It opened in Japan on $2m from 292.