An absence of heavy-hitting new releases could be attributable to the 22.2% week-on-week drop in the international top 40 this weekend, with the only four new entrants all failing to enter the top 30.

The top 40 international films generated $208.8m from 49,452 screens for the period of January 4-6.

For the full international chart, compiled by Len Klady, click here.

Russian sequel The Irony Of Fate 2 was the weekend's strongest non-US performer. The second instalment of the cult comedy, from Timur Bekmambetov (Night Watch, Day Watch), was up 61% at the weekend with a $9.2m take across 912 screens. It jumped two places to number eight in its third weekend and enjoyed a $10,025 screen average, the third highest of the weekend. It is distributed through Twentieth Century Fox and has grossed more than $35m to date.

German cinema continues to show its muscle with three films generating more than $8m at the weekend and accounting for 4.2% of the top 40 revenue. Til Schweiger's Keinohrhasen stole the highest screen average at the weekend at a whopping $11,422 from 565 screens. The romantic comedy fell a modest 16% to number nine with a $6.5m weekend take. It has taken $23.7m after three weekends and is released through Warner Bros.

Animated adventure Kleiner Dodo was the weekend's highest new entry, in at number 31 with a $1.3m three-day gross. The family film, directed by Thilo Rothkirch (whose Little Polar Bear franchise generated nearly $20m in Germany) follows the story of Dodo, an orangutan, who imitates sounds. It played on 553 screens for a $2,360 screen average and is also distributed by Warner Bros.

Meanwhile, Constantin Film's Warum Manner Nicht Zuhoren Und Frauen Schlecht Einparken held strong in its sixth weekend with a $1.1m take from 406 screens. The satire has generated nearly $12m to date.

Brazilian drama Meu Nome Nao E Johnny opened to number 34 this weekend, taking $1.1m from 103 screens in its home territory. The film, distributed through Sony Pictures Releasing International, boasted the second highest screen average this weekend at $10,742 per screen. The film, directed by Mauro Lima (Deus Jr), follows the true story of one of Rio De Janeiro's biggest cocaine dealers in the 1990s.

Korean romantic comedy Gidarida Michyeo opened to number 35 with a $1.1m take across 248 screens in its home territory. It is released through Cinema Service and is the first feature length film from director Ryu Seung-Jin. And Polish comedy Jeszcze Raz opened to number 39 with a $966,652 take from just 118 screens in Poland for a $8,192 screen average. It is distributed by Monolith Films.

Meanwhile, Chinese cinema continues to enjoy robust takings at the box office. Chinese civil war drama The Assembly dropped 25% but remained in the top 15 with a $3.8m take from 561 screens. The film, directed by Xiaogang Feng and released through Huayi Brothers, has generated $27.5m after three weekends on release. And Media Asia's period epic The Warlords remained within the top 20 with a $2.1m take in its fourth weekend. The Jet Li starrer played across 589 screens for a $3,497 screen average. It has generated $35.3m to date.

British films also fared well this weekend - Ealing Studios production St Trinian's fell a modest 18% in its third weekend with a near $3m take from 386 screens for a $7,611 screen average. The schoolgirl comedy, which stars a host of British talent including Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and new Bond girl Gemma Arterton, has generated more than $15m to date in the UK alone. It is released in the territory through Entertainment Film Distributors. And Ken Loach's It's A Free World re-entered the chart at number 32 after opening in France. It generated $1.2m and has a $2.4m international tally to date.

Elsewhere, Indian film Welcome, from Studio 18, is closing in on the $20m mark, making it actor Akshay Kumar's biggest international grosser while Warner Bros' I Am Legend holds the top spot with a $30.5m take in its fourth weekend.