Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed is being let loose on 26 internationalmarkets this upcoming weekend in Warner Bros' first major push outside the US.

The family sequel goes out inGermany on Apr 1 and Mexico, Spain and the UK on Apr 2, when executives areanticipating high scores to boost the picture's $4.3m international runningtotal.

The UK and Spanish bows in particular should cause a stir bearingin mind that Scooby-Dooopened top in both markets in July 2002 on $8m from 472 sites and $2.1m from276 respectively.

Germany opened second behind MenIn Black 2 in August 2002 on $2.5m from613. Figures for Mexico were unavailable at time of writing.

The serial killer thriller Taking Lives opens in Russia this weekend and hasgrossed $2.9m from all its markets to date, while the street racing thriller Torque has grossed $21.8m and romantic comedy Something'sGotta Give is on$119.9m.

Universal's horror remake DawnOf The Dead gets its first internationalrelease through Universal in Mexico on 200 prints on Apr 2 and is expected toperform well given local taste for the genre.

Gothika, Scary Movie 3, Haunted Mansion and Identity have all opened top there recently.

The romantic comedy Along Came Polly, currently on $63.1m, goes out in Koreaon Apr 2 on 80 prints. The teen dance drama Honey has no major bows and has grossed $20.3mso far.

Fox International will release The Passion Of The Christ in Korea on Apr 2 on 125 prints andseveral smaller Asian markets including Hong Kong and Singapore.

Passion has taken $27m from all the distributor's markets to date,which include Latin America and Taiwan.

Speaking of Taiwan, Fox International picked up sci-fi thriller TheButterfly Effect andwill release it there on Apr 3 on 53 prints, with Latin America to follow

Family comedy Good Boy! opens in Germany on Apr 1 on 50 and has grossed $7mto date. Other latest international running totals put the comedies CheaperBy The Dozen on $42m and Stuck OnYou on $30.7m.

The horror-thriller Gothika gets a UK release on Apr 2 on 308 prints through ColumbiaTriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI) and is expected to perform wellwith horror-loving UK audiences, although Scooby-Doo 2 will be tough competition.

It has grossed $47.3m fromCTFDI markets to date and $50.3m including Japan, where it performed belowexpectations.

Gothikaalso opens in Korea on Apr 2 on 72 and Sweden the same day on 51.

The distributor is also rolling out the family picture PeterPan ahead of the Easterholiday period. It opens in Germany on Apr 1 on a wide 602 prints, Italy on Apr2 on 256 and it went out unusually early in Mexico on Mar 31. Peter Pan has grossed $50.3m industry-wide todate.

The thriller Secret Window gets its first international release in Russia on Apr 2 on130.

Latest international cumulative totals put 50 First Dates on $4.7m, Big Fish on $37.9m and Mona Lisa Smile on $71.3m (industry total).

Buena Vista International (BVI) has a very quite weekend comparedto its recent schedule. The horror spoof Scary Movie 3 opens in Spain on Apr 2 and executiveswill seek to build on its $63.7m cumulative score.

Latest runningtotals put Brother Bearon $130m, Haunted Mansion on $63.2m and Cold Mountain on $61.6m from BVI markets.