Action comedy Mr And MrsSmith ended Star Wars reign at the top of the international chartlast weekend.

Released in 36 territoriesthe Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie film is the first major day-and-date launch since EpisodeIII and was expected to take the crown. However, Mr And Mrs Smithwill immediately face stiff competition for the top spot next weekend fromWarner Bros' day-and-dater Batman Begins.

Apart from Mr And MrsSmith all the new entries on the international chart were non-Englishlanguage titles.

The highest new entry, inseventh place, was a South Korean film which caused some surprise in its hometerritory with a powerful $3.4m launch. Rules Of Dating (Yonaeui Mokjok),which follows a high school instructor who starts pressuring a student teacherassigned to his class to have sex with him, played especially well withaudiences in the South Korean capital, Seoul, where its slightly scandaloussubject matter and dark theme seem to be proving a draw. The film stars KangHye-jong, best known for her leading role in Oldboy, and Park Hae-il andis directed by first timer Han Jae-rim. It is released by CJ Entertainment.

Japan also contributed a topten international launch with action title Samurai Commando Mission 1549.The film claimed a chart topping $3.2m at home for Toho. It follows a group ofpresent day soldiers sent back in time, to 1549, to put history back on courseand save modern day Tokyo from disappearing. First, however, they must defeatthe greatest warlord in Japanese history.

UTV Communications' Parineetabecame the latest in a quick succession of Bollywood titles to take a place onthe international chart, in 19th place. The love story, set in 1962Calcutta, grossed $1.6m from 17 territories. It tells the story of a youngorphan girl sent to live with her uncle's family where she meets a buddingmusician who is the son of an affluent businessman.

Elsewhere, Sin Cityopened top in Poland for SPI, held the lead in Italy with a mere 27% slip, andlaunched in Portugal but still saw a sizeable week-on-week drop off in thirdplace on the international chart.

BVI's The Hitchhiker's Guide ToThe Galaxy saw a major territory launch in Germany where it came in secondplace with $2.4m, which boosted the sci-fi comedy up the international table,along with openings in six other smaller European territories includingSwitzerland, Austria, Poland and Hungary.

Mars Distribution released TheInterpreter in France where it sold over 322,000 tickets in its first weekbut had to settle for second place locally behind Star Wars.