20th Century Fox International launches its animated blockbuster-in-waiting Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosuars this weekend on 11,370 prints in 68 territories day-and-date with North America in a bid to knock megahit Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen off the top spot.

Paramount Pictures International’s (PPI) Transformers sequel debuted with a staggering $189.6m as of Sunday.

The previous Ice Age films have been enormously popular outside the US. Ice Age took $206m in 2002 and its sequel Ice Age: The Meltdown grabbed a massive $457m in 2006.

The third film in the series is going for maximum exposure, on 1,248 prints in Germany 1,097 in Russia, 1,061 in France, 1,003 in the UK and 1,000 in Mexico.

Other big launches include 730 prints in Brazil and 650 in Spain, although Fox is holding China until next weekend, Japan until July 25 and South Korea and Italy until August.

Fox has had a good summer so far with Night At The Museum 2now at $204.2m and X-Men Origins: Wolverine at $184.6m.

  • Meanwhile PPI, which put Transformers 2 into 60 markets last weekend, should see the film’s brilliant run continue, although there are only two smaller territory openings in Pakistan and Vietnam.

  • Universal’s UPI is also going day-and-date with its July 4 weekend gangster epic Public Enemies, but just in five markets. It opened today in Greece and Serbia/Montenegro and in Denmark, Mexico and the UK tomorrow.

UPI has several films in play including Land Of The Lostwhich has taken $7m in Australia, Russia, New Zealand, Singapore and Trinidad after three weekends. State Of Play has taken $41.5m in 40 territories and Coraline has taken $36.1m in 24 territories with the next major openings including Australia and Germany in August.

  • Warner Bros International has no major openings this weekend, although The Hangover has now crossed $50m (it stands at $52.3m). Its next major opening is Germany on July 23, by which time Warner will be in full global release with the sixth Harry Potter film.

  • SPRI has a relatively quiet weekend with Paul Blart: Mall Cop opening in Italy, Crank: High Voltage in Belgium and Denmark, Obsessed in the Middle East, Every Little Step in Australia and Waltz With Bashir in Colombia.

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