Working Title's Johnny English continued to demonstrate Rowan Atkinson's audience-pulling power in Europe last week when it launched in France through Mars Distribution, it's final European territory.

The only international territory not handled by distribution giant UIP, France saw 428,079 admissions taken in its first full week on release from 557 screens. While this result, which equates to $2.75m (Euro 2.4m), is substantially lower than Atkinson and Working Title's 1997 hit Bean (which sold 1.3m tickets at 510 screens in its first week in France) Johnny English lacks the character pre-recognition that benefited Bean.

The strong French result - scoring a screen average of nearly $5,000 - comes only two weeks after the comedy disappointed in the US for Universal with a $9.1m opening at 2,236 locations. It has taken $18.4m after ten days on release in North America.

However, Johnny English has performed strongly throughout Europe, where it has received pole position bows in virtually every territory including the other four key markets: UK/Ireland ($5.6m), Germany ($4.8m), Spain ($1.6m), Italy ($1.4m).

As well as other European top spots ranging from Belgium to Greece and Eastern European territories such as Poland and Hungary, Johnny English also claimed first weekend leads in other areas of the world such as Hong Kong, Australia and South Africa.

Territories where Peter Howitt's film missed the top spot have still turned in strong results. In the Czech Republic and Denmark it lost out to local hits Pupendo and Anja After Viktor but still claimed good end results of $683,543 and $818,475 respectively.

In The Netherlands it was beaten to the lead by fellow opener Maid In Manhattan but played less screens for a stronger per screen performance: $6,466 versus Maid's $5,891. Similarly Mexico may have seen the film place fourth during its first week but its $6,239 screen average from 149 locations was the highest of its week and it went on to gross $3.1m in the territory.

Argentina fell more in line with the US, with Johnny English opening in ninth place and it took just $63,332 by the end of its run, the lowest result of any of UIP's territories, even ranking below Panama's $80,000. Similarly it placed just fifth upon opening in another South American country, Chile, and went on to gross $143,411, its third smallest result.

UIP have grossed $117.3m from Johnny English to date, with the UK's $30.5m and Germany's $20.5m by far the strongest performers. This puts the international cumulative at $120.1m and the worldwide at $138.5m.

Only Colombia ($310,618 to date), South Africa ($2.1m) and Turkey ($320,233) are currently still tracking for UIP, although the company has yet to open Johnny English in Japan where a launch is set for Oct 4.

If Mars Distribution can net even just a third of Bean's 3.1m total French admissions - a feat that should be easily attainable - Johnny English should take $6.5m-$7m from France, similar to the Spanish ($6.4m) and Australian ($7.5m) cumulative scores. With Japan still to come a $150m worldwide gross may still be within reach.