Buoyed by a superb $60m-plus ongoing run in Japan, Warner Bros Pictures International (WBPI) will have high hopes when it unleashes The Last Samurai in a raft of major markets this upcoming weekend.

Japan is an idiosyncratic market and a strong performance there does not necessarily guarantee impressive results elsewhere. However the global popularity of star Tom Cruise suggests decent openings in the UK on Jan 10, as well as Germany, Italy and Spain.

Cruise's last action foray, Minority Report, opened top in all these markets in 2002. It grossed $6.9m from 426 theatres in the UK in July, $7.7m from 782 in Germany in October, $3.9m from 364 in Italy in September and $4.2m from 371 in Spain in October.

WBPI's acclaimed murder drama Mystic River is set to open in Japan on Jan 10 and had amassed an estimated $37.2m from all its markets by Jan 5.

Calendar Girls is expected to pass $50m this weekend and Buena Vista International (BVI) executives are looking for a strong debut in Spain on Jan 9. The comedy-drama has been a surprise international hit, grossing $48.8m to date.

Several other BVI titles should hold well this weekend, chiefly Finding Nemo, which is currently on $465m, Freaky Friday ($35.8m) and Brother Bear ($27.5m), which executives say has been beating The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King week-for-week for the last three weeks in Mexico.

Fox International has three comedies in action this weekend, starting with Stuck On You, which goes out in France on 250 prints on Jan 7 and Russia on 165 on Jan 8. It has grossed $7.4m to date.

Cheaper By The Dozen opens in Australia on 177 prints on Jan 8 and has amassed $2.6m to date, while Good Boy opens in Taiwan on 30 prints on Jan 10. Still in the early days of release, the film has amassed $3.2m at the box office to date.

Universal opens 21 Grams through UIP in Brazil on 115 screens on Jan 9 and will be seeking to build on its $4.5m international running total.

The teen dance drama Honey opens in Australia on 140 on Jan 8 and has taken $5.1m in its markets so far.

Gothika gets its first international release when it goes out through Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI) in France on 416 prints on Jan 7.

The opening was chosen as a courtesy to the film's French director Mathieu Kassovitz and CTFDI has rights in all territories except Japan.

CTFDI opens Peter Pan in Brazil on about 300 prints on Jan 9. The film has grossed roughly $15m so far from UIP markets.