Fox International expects Ice Age 3 to be too cool for Bruno

While Bruno will pose a strong challenge in select markets, Ice Age 3 is expected to prevail. The animated hit has reached $191.9m and opened in China on July 8. The film’s thunderous international launch last weekend ensured Fox International became the first distributor to cross the $1bn mark this year.

Other key drivers have been Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Marley & Me, and Australia.

Fox International co-president Paul Hanneman called 2009 “a banner year”, adding that there was more to come in the next five months including the year-end releases of Alvin And The Chipmunks 2 and Avatar.

I Love You, Beth Cooper, a Fox Atomic creation that 20th Century Fox inherited in North America after the genre division closed, opens day-and-date with North America in Italy on July 10. The comedy Bride Wars stands at $56.4m, while action title 12 Rounds has grossed $5.1m.

Bruno, the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy financed by Media Rights Capital, opens in several key markets day-and-date with North America this weekend. Universal/UPI are handling eight territories and will release in every one this weekend.

Indeed the film has already got off to a flying start in Australia thanks to a superb $1.4m first day’s gross on 222 screens on Wednesday that delivered the second biggest opening day of 2009 behind Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.

Other highlights for UPI are expected to come from Belgium and New Zealand on July 8, Germany and the Netherlands on July 9, and the UK, Austria and South Africa on July 10.

Bruno launches through Sony Pictures Releasing International in Spain, Portugal and Greece on July 10. Sony will also release in France on July 22, Brazil on August 14, and Mexico on September 25. It has the film in Latin America and will open throughout the region from September through early November. Mandate International  pre-sold remaining rights.

UPI opens Public Enemies in 13 territories, among them France, French-speaking Switzerland and Switzerland on July 8. The gangster drama stands at $9.1m and is in the early stages of release. The action film Fighting arrives in Russia on July 9.

Action epic Terminator Salvation has reached $229.9m through Sony and other distributors, while Sony’s thriller Angels & Demons stands at $343.6m and comedy Year One has grossed $7.8m from the early days of its run.

DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters Vs Aliens opens in Japan through PPI on July 11 and has reached $174m, while Paramount/DreamWorks’s Transformers sequel on $326.9m arrives in India on July 10.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International’s romantic comedy The Proposal has reached $32.8m and opens in Spain, Brazil and South Africa on July 10. Hannah Montana The Movie on $60.9m lands in Holland and Belgium, and Pixar’s Up has taken $52m from early stages and opens in its next territory of Israel on July 23.

Warner Bros Pictures International will be the first distributor on everybody’s lips next week when Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince begins its global roll-out on Wednesday. For now the company will make do with keeping its comedy The Hangover in play and look to boost the $66.5m tally with modest holdover business.