SUBMITTED BY pimpjoe_esb

May 2, 2007 — Variety reports that after one-day box office records across Asia on Tuesday, "Spider-Man 3" continued posting some big numbers in its European bows, with particularly big takes in Italy, Germany and France.

Italian estimates gave "Spider-Man" $4 million from 900 screens, making for the country's biggest one day bow ever.

That pulverized the existing record of $2.5 million held by "The Da Vinci Code," and tripled the day one takes of Spidey's two previous installments.

Sony spent some $3.3 million on marketing "Spider-Man 3" in Italy, about the same it invested to launch the franchise's previous installments. A splashy Rome bow, on April 24, with stars and helmer Sam Raimi in tow gave pic a big boost.

"This is a nice surprise which bodes well for what promises to be Italy's biggest summer ever," Sony Pictures Italia topper Paulo Simoes told Variety.

Early reports from France are also boffo, with the pic racing to $1.4 million on 64 screens in its first day at theaters in the Paris region. Figures for all of France are not yet available.

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