Shrek 2 added $76.7mto its international gross last weekend headed by record-breaking performancesin the UK and Spain.

The UK/Ireland launch on July 2 yielded theterritory's biggest ever three-day opening weekend, excluding previews,with $19.4m (£10.6m) taken from 512 locations. This included theterritory's biggest ever Saturday gross taking $8.2m (£4.5m), aheadof Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets'$7.9m (£4.3m).

With the previous weekend's two days of previews addedin Shrek 2 has grossed $29.6m(£16.2m) in the UK, already 73% of the $40.5m total gross of the 2001original.

Spain also recorded a massive opening over a five-day launchstarting on Wednesday June 20. After a first two-day take of $2.6m thePDI/DreamWorks film added $7m (Euro 5.8m) over the weekend.

The three-day result gave UIP the second biggest three-dayopening weekend of all time, behind the $7.4m (Euro 5.99m) recorded by TheLord Of The Rings: The Return Of The Kingin December last year.

The Spanish five-day total, $9.6m, already makes up 86% ofthe $11.2m total of the first Shrek.

The third major European territory to receive the film thisweekend was Germany. With a weekend take of $8.8m (Euro 7.3m) from 1.27madmissions Shrek 2 may not have set anyrecords in the territory but it's first weekend result still representeda massive 54% of its predecessor's total gross in Germany ($16.2m).

Other new launches this weekend included Austria ($1.1m, 54%of Shrek total gross), Hungary ($0.76m,83%), Israel ($0.65m, 19%), The Netherlands ($2.1m, 88%), Poland ($2.4m, 49%)and Portugal ($0.79m, 63%).

The animated sequel is already well on its way to surpassingthe $197.3m the first Shrek grossed fromUIP territories (the distributor handles all territories except South Korea andHong Kong where CJ Entertainment have rights) with an international total of$161.1m in UIP territories and counting.

Shrek 2 has alreadybeaten the original's total gross in Australia, Belgium, Colombia,France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, thePhilippines, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan and Thailand.

The film opens next in the Czech Republic on July 8, whilethe next major territory comes with Japan on July 24.