SUBMITTED BY pimpjoe_esb

July 2, 2007 —

The ugly ogre's sitting pretty overseas as "Shrek the Third" dominated a robust weekend at the foreign box office with $69.6 million at 6,489 playdates in 52 markets, according to Variety.

But there was plenty of international green for tentpoles as "Transformers" debuted ahead of its U.S. launch with a stellar $34.7 million at 2,261 in 10 territories and "Live Free or Die Hard" shot down a solid $30.7 million at 3,583 in day and date openings in 35 markets.

And a trio of holdovers -- "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer," "Ocean's Thirteen" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" -- impressed with each grossing at least $14 million.

With the top six pics combining for $179 million, the frame dwarfed the year-ago weekend when "Superman Returns" led with $20 million amid a chill in moviegoing due to soccer's World Cup. And it highlighted the strong performance so far this year of Hollywood films in foreign markets, well above 2006's record-setting pace.

The tentpoles are mostly meeting studio expectations that each sequel can match its previous iteration, underlining the strategy of focusing on easily recognized franchises that can perform throughout the world. The third "Pirates of the Caribbean" became only the seventh pic to cross the $600 million mark in international grosses and trails the final "Pirates 2" foreign cume by only $33 million after six weeks; "Shrek the Third" has already grossed $259 million overseas, more than halfway to matching "Shrek 2."

Paramount's "Shrek the Third" grabbed an eye-popping $31 million at 537 in its U.K. launch, including $12.7 million in previews in an indication that Brits were undeterred by the latest wave of terror threats. Minus previews, the opening came in 5% ahead of "Shrek 2," which went on to gross $88 million in Blighty.

French patrons stayed supportive in the third frame as Shrek declined only 29% to $5.3 million for a $29.2 million cume while Spanish biz remained beefy with a 37% fall to $4.8 million. And the ogre turned monstrous in Poland, smashing the launch record with $4.1 million at 88, and set the second-highest opening mark in South Africa with $921,000.

"Shrek the Third" opened more moderately in Japan -- where American animated pics have a mixed record -- with $2.8 million at 542, trailing the launch of "Live Free or Die Hard" and the sixth frame of "Pirates 3." Still, that was 42% ahead of "Shrek 2," which went on to gross $22 million in Japan.

Read more below.