Universal-Working Title'slive action version of the hit 1960s television series Thunderbirds gets its global launch in the UK this weekend,opening through UIP on 600 prints on Jul 23.

Universal executives havehigh hopes for the family-friendly adaptation, and it will be intriguing to seehow diehard fans of the series receive this radically different interpretation.The rest of the world is set to follow in August.

Buena Vista International(BVI) continues to roll out Buena Vista's epic King Arthur with two major markets releases in South Korea onJul 23 and Japan on Jul 24.

The picture is in theembryonic stages of its international release and has grossed $5.6m to date.

Buena Vista's animatedfeature Home On The Range, whichhas taken $4.5m so far, opens inMexico on Jul 23, while Miramax's Kill Bill Vol 2 goes out through BVI in Spain on Jul 23 and Starsky& Hutch opens in Brazil on Jul23. The pictures have grossed $51.9m and $72.9m respectively.

Fox International continuesits international roll-out of Fox's number one US picture I, Robot, this weekend.

The sci-fi thriller openedin Australia on 346 prints on Jul 22, and executives will be looking to buildon the $1.8m international running total following the distributor's fourthbiggest bow ever in Thailand last weekend on $1m on 270.

The Will Smith starrer MenIn Black II opened number one DownUnder in July 2002 on $4.5m from 365 theatres. However the more serious tone ofI, Robot may detract from thegross. Minority Report opened insecond place there in June 2002 on $2.1m in 329 venues.

The live action comedy Garfield follows up last weekend's $2.2m Mexican launch on487 and $1.1m Brazilian bow on 263.with openings in Taiwan on Jul 24 and acouple of small Latin American markets. It has taken $6.7m to date.

Fox International is alsoopening The Passion Of The Christin its final official market of Indonesia this weekend. Mel Gibson's picturehas grossed $79.2m to date through Fox markets.

Dreamworks comedy sequel Shrek2 opens through UIP in Japan, whichshould boost the picture's $305.5m international standing as of Jul 18. The2001 original finished on $18.8m in Japan.

Another Dreamworks comedy, WinA Date With Tad Hamilton, opens inGermany on Jul 22.

The number one internationalpicture Spider-Man 2 has a raftof small bows through Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI)this weekend, when the highlight is expected to be an Indian bow on roughly 300prints on Jul 23. The comic book sequel has grossed $219m to date.

CTFDI opens another comicbook adaptation, Hellboy, inMexico on Jul 23 on 400 prints and executives will be looking for a strongboost to its early $5.4m running total.

The distributor opened athird comic book title, The Punisher, in Russia on Jul 22 on 177 screens. The action picture has grossed$15.3m industry-wide to date.