Displaying strong international legs, Spider-Man 3 dominated the international box office again this weekend, falling a modest 41% to $49.6m. Shrek The Third, meanwhile, added to its huge domestic haul with an extremely promising international debut in Russia.

Sony Pictures Releasing International's Spider-Man 3 took its $49.6m from 15,850 screens in 105 countries. Its international total to date reached $465.1m, already well ahead of the lifetime international totals of both earlier Spidey films (the original's $418m and Spider-Man 2's $410m).

Showing more staying power - albeit in the face of less competition - internationally than domestically, Spider-Man 3 stayed top for a third straight weekend in most of its markets.

In France it slid just 15% to an estimated $6.5m from 973 screens, for a territory total of $46.4m. In the UK it fell 52% to $5.3m from 1,077 screens, for a total of $57.2m. In Germany it was down only 9% to $4.2m from 1,162 screens, for a $26.2m total.

Takings in Japan were down 25% to $3.7m from 799 screens, bringing the total for the market to $43.6m. Mexico fell 51% to $3.1m from 930 screens, for a market total of $30.5m, enough for the film to take over from Ice Age 2 as the biggest earner ever in the territory.

Brazil fell 34% to $2.9m from 700 screens (total - $19.4M); Korea fell 58% to $2.7m from 604 screens (total - $31.4m); Spain fell 45% to $2.5m from 761 screens (total - $21.5m); Australia fell 40% to $2.1m from 499 (total - $16.2m); and Italy fell 45% to $1.8m from 916 (total $23.2m).

In China, though it plunged 69% to $680,000 from 534 screens, Spider-Man 3 became the number two Hollywood film of all time (after Titanic), with a territory total $12.3m.

The third installment of DreamWorks Animation's Shrek franchise arrives in most international territories during the second half of June and July, but it showed its potential this weekend - when it also became the biggest animated opener ever in the US - by taking an estimated $13.1m from Russia and three smaller markets.

In Russia, according to distributor Paramount Pictures International (PPI), Shrek The Third's $11.1m was the biggest opening ever in the territory for an animated film, and the biggest ever for a foreign film. The opening was 44% bigger than Spider-Man 3's, said PPI.

The $1.075m opening in Ukraine was that territory's second biggest ever (after the second Pirates of the Caribbean film); the $1m from 78 locations in the Philippines was the market's biggest ever for an animated film; and the $120,000 in Romania was the country's biggest opening of the year and biggest animated opening ever.

The weekend's other international debutant, David Fincher's acclaimed thriller Zodiac, grossed an estimated $9.5m (from 1.1m admissions) from over 1,400 prints in 17 markets, according to international distributor Warner Bros Pictures International (Paramount handled the film in North America).

France produced $3.5m (427,000 admissions) from 376 prints, placing Zodiac second in the national chart behind Spider-Man 3. That was 30% better than the opening of Fincher's Fight Club and 12% better than his Panic Room.

The UK generated an estimated $1.5m (146,000 admissions) from 227 situations, placing the film third.

In Spain Zodiac grossed $1.5m (185,000 admissions) from 188 prints - 33% up on Fight Club and on a par with Fincher's earlier Seven - for a second place ranking.

Australia produced an estimated $925,000 (107,000 admissions) from 182 prints - 13% better than Fight Club - for second spot.

And in Italy Zodiac opened at number two with an estimated $880,000 from 223 prints, twice as big as the opening of Seven.

Mr Bean's Holiday , the blockbuster British comedy from Universal/UPI, had another strong weekend, grossing an estimated $3.5m from 2,400 dates in 47 territories, bringing its international total to $176m.

Figures for the film's openings in Turkey and Venezuela were not available at press time, but in Germany Bean was up 42% in its eighth week (thanks to Thursday and Friday holidays in that market) to $646,000 from 579 dates, for a 53-day territory total of $22.4m.

In the UK, Bean dropped 39% to $325,000 from 186 dates but moved up the local chart to number ten. The film's 52-day UK total is $42.8m. Bean has five territories yet to open, among them China, Japan and Korea.

Fox International's 28 Weeks Later took an estimated $3m from 878 screens in 13 territories, bringing its international total to $10.3m. The horror sequel was number two in the UK, with $1.9m from 402 screens for a $6.4m territory total.

Buena Vista International, whose Wild Hogs was among last weekend's top five international performers, did not report box office figures on Sunday.

PPI's Next opened in Korea with an estimated $1.9m form 140 locations. And the distributor's Blades of Glory grossed an estimated $1.5m from 857 screens across 19 territories, for an international total of $15m.

PPI's S hooter grossed an estimated $1.4m from 1,327 screens across 59 territories, for a total of $41.3m.

Fox International's The Hills Have Eyes 2 took an estimated $1.3m from 800 screens in 16 markets, for an $11.3m total.

Magicians, the British comedy featuring TV duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb (Peep Show), made its international debut in the UK through Universal/UPI (which acquired the film for eight territories) and managed $750,000 from 251 dates for fifth place on the local chart.

Universal/UPI's third British comedy, Hot Fuzz, grossed an estimated $150,000 from 70 dates in nine territories, raising its international total to $49.7m.

Warner Bros Pictures International's 300 added $522,000 (112,000 admissions) from over 1,100 prints in 45 markets, bringing its impressive international total to $231m after 11 weeks. The film's biggest individual territory totals come from the UK ($27.8m), Spain ($20m), Korea ($18.6m) and Italy ($14.8m). The overall international total should get another boost when the film opens in Japan on June 9.

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