A wide Australian opening and strong holdovers elsewhere should propel Pirates Of The Caribbean past the $200m international mark for Buena Vista International (BVI) this upcoming weekend.

The number one international title has exploded on to the scene as a late summer juggernaut and distinguished itself with a superb $38.5m haul last weekend that raised its running total to $189.9m.

The distributor does not release screen counts in advance but is certain to open the film on a large number in Australia.

Australia has played a major role in boosting international grosses for all the summer's major international releases and Finding Nemo recently opened number one on a massive four-day $8m gross on 399 screens.

Pirates opens in New Zealand on the same day and in Denmark and Greece on Sept 12. If its holds the lead internationally again this weekend it will have done so for five consecutive weeks matching The Matrix Reloaded, which is the only title to do so, so far this year.

Fox International has a big weekend with several major territory releases planned for the fantasy-adventure The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG), which to date has opened top in all its international markets.

Still in its early days, LXG has grossed $10.8m to date and will be hoping for big bows in Mexico and Brazil to help it towards its projected $100m target.

Both territories have appetites for fantasy adventures. When Fox's X2 stormed across the world in its day-and-date release last May it grossed $5.6m from 755 screens in Mexico and $2.4m from 400 in Brazil.

It opens on 450 screens in Mexico and 213 in Brazil, both on Sept 12. Medium-sized openings include The Netherlands on 95 on Sept 11, followed by India and Thailand on 100 each on Sept 12.

The romantic comedy Down With Love, currently on $3.1m, was due to open in France (under the title Bye Bye Love) on 181 screens on Sept 10 and Spain on 250 on Sept 12.

It may just prove whimsical enough to score a hit in the European markets, especially since star Renee Zellweger's previous outing in Chicago grossed $1.9m in its first week in France, opening fifth, and $1.3m in its first three days in Spain, opening third.

Both March bows preceded the Oscars and Zellweger's stock has risen since the musical went on to win six Academy Awards. Down With Love opens in Russia and Taiwan on 92 and 52 respectively on Sept 11.

Comedy sequel Legally Blonde 2 will be bidding to boost its $20.4m cumulative score with an Australian bow on 262 on Sept 11.

It should do well there following the original's table-topping $2.4m gross in its first week in October 2001. Star Reese Witherspoon is a major draw, although it remains to be seen how much interference will come from Pirates - or vice-versa.

Supernatural thriller The Sin Eater - which flopped last weekend in the US, where it is called The Order - opens in its first market when it goes out in the UK on 160 screens on Sept 12.

Universal's 2 Fast 2 Furious passed $100m on Sept 10, becoming Universal's third summer release through UIP to reach the milestone. It began its international run on Jun 5 with a $3.8m number one Australian bow and has gone on to gross $100.3m from 45 territories. No major openings remain.

Strong holdovers alone should be enough to push Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle past $150m this weekend.

The Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI) action sequel has no major openings and is currently on $149.9m.

CTFDI's newish crop of films rolls out in several big markets this weekend.

Action sequel Bad Boys II, currently on $17.4m, will open in Mexico on 500 prints on Sept 12 and Sweden and Norway on the same day on 83 and 66 respectively.

The buddy film Hollywood Homicide, which has taken $4.4m to date, opens in Germany on 339 on Sept 11.

Russia and Taiwan go out the same day on 105 and 65 respectively while Austria follows on Sept 12 on 31 prints.

Horror title Identity opens in Spain, where the genre is frequently popular, on 257 on Sept 12 and was due to open in Belgium on 31 on Sept 10. It has amassed $13.6m to date.

The action-drama Tears Of The Sun opens in the UK on 250 on Sept 12 and has taken $22.1m to date.

Finally, remember Spider-Man' After a long break, the legendary blockbuster swings back into action for its final international bow in Zimbabwe on Sept 13.

CTFDI executives are not expecting to add too much to the film's $418m international tally, but do not be surprised if it rewrites the record books in that territory.