In the firstmajor international release for its number one US film Anger Management, Columbia TriStar Film DistributorsInternational (CTFDI) opened the comedy at number one in Australia on anaggressive $2m.

In a raft ofterritory records, this was the second biggest April bow (bettered only by TheMatrix in 1999), thebiggest ever bow for Nicholson and the joint biggest ever for Sandler, tyingwith the release of The Waterboy in 1999.

The film wasreleased on 324 prints and is expected to play well with the school holidaysscheduled to run until May 4. The next big international release will beGermany on May 8.

CTFDI alsorolled out Maid In Manhattan in its last territory, Spain, on $1.8m, including previews. Thefilm opened on 301 screens at number one and was bigger than the comparable bowfor Two Weeks Notice.

In Brazil, theromantic comedy was the highest ranking Hollywood film of the weekend, openingon $540,000 on 215 screens. It finished behind Hector Babenco's local languagecrime drama Carandiru,which was released through Columbia Pictures do Brasil.

Maid InManhattan grossed $3.9mon 1,970 screens over the weekend and now has a $54.5m international runningtotal. Openings are still to come in Japan and Sweden.