The third instalment in Universal's American Pie franchise had a stellar international launch in Australia through UIP this weekend.

American Pie: The Wedding, as it has been rebranded for international markets, claimed $2.8m (A$4.29m) from 310 screens in Australia over the four-day weekend (Aug 7-10). This gave the film an impressive screen average of $9,040.

The launch saw the comedy, which was directed by Jesse Dylan, surpass the debuts of the previous two franchise entries. The original American Pie took $1.5m (A$2.4m) in 1999, while American Pie 2 was only just behind with $2.8m (A$4.28m). American Pie 2 went on to gross $6.9m in Australia.

Eating up a healthy 50% slice of the Australian weekend market share, American Pie The Wedding was UIP's third biggest opening this year and 12th largest ever in the territory.

The success is a great start to UIP's international roll-out for the sequel, which opened nearly $12m lower than the first sequel in North America last week titled American Wedding. After 10-days the film has taken $65m in the US.

UIP will next launch American Pie: The Wedding in the UK and Ireland on Friday (Aug 15) on 600 prints at approximately 423 sites.

It has already played one day of previews in the UK, on Sunday August 10. Despite competing against the third day of BVI's Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl launch and the hottest temperatures ever recorded in the country, the comedy took $690,820 (£429,000) from 309 screens. It will play another day of previews on Thursday (Aug 14).

American Pie grossed £132.7m internationally, accounting for 56.5% of the film's worldwide gross. American Pie 2 managed nearly 50% with $142.8m.

American Pie: The Wedding features many of the cast from the original two instalments including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy.