'Watchmen' rules overseas boxoffice

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Watchmen" reigned on the international circuit over the weekend as director Zack Snyder's sci-fi fantasy, launching simultaneously with its domestic debut, grossed an estimated $25.9 million, easily finishing at No. 1 overall.

An adaptation of a comic book series from Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the Warner Bros./Paramount/DC Comics production, distributed overseas by Paramount, is the first big worldwide launch of 2009. Its overseas weekend tally, from 5,079 screens in 42 markets, is the year's biggest since the $31.1 million rolled up by DreamWorks/Paramount's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" in the first weekend of January.

"Gran Torino" jumped to the No. 2 spot by grossing $11.6 million from 1,700 screens in 17 territories, good for a cumulative take of $33 million.

Thanks to openings in 16 markets, Fox's "Marley & Me" generated $8.2 million from 1,467 screens in 25 markets, enough to rank No. 3 for the weekend.

In fourth was Warners' "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which had been No. 1 on the international circuit for the past month. The weekend tally for the David Fincher-directed film starring Brad Pitt was $7.3 million from 4,240 screens in 61 markets, good for an international total of $189.6 million.

Ranking fifth was Disney Animation's "Bolt," which continued to thrive internationally with a weekend tally of $4.2 million from 3,385 screens in 27 markets, grossing $171.6 million to date (versus a domestic total of $114 million). An opening in animation-friendly Japan is due in August.

Pushing past the $100 million mark internationally was best picture Oscar winner "Slumdog Millionaire," now playing in 32 territories. Regionally, Europe has provided about $70 million so far; the U.K. leads the pack with an estimated $42 million to date. The Asia Pacific region has kicked in with more than $20 million, mostly from Australia and India.