Spri's Seven Pounds weighed in at number one in the international box-office chart for the January 16-18 weekend, with a 58% rise in three-day takings after expanding to 27 territories. The film debuted in several key markets, including Spain, where it placed top (with $4.2m from 322 screens), and France and the UK, taking second place in both (for $3m and $2.3m respectively). Over the weekend the film grossed $20.6m from 3,505 screens, doubling its total gross to $41.6m.

The highest new entry on the international chart is Warner Bros' Bollywood feature Chandni Chowk To China, which debuted in 27 territories including Australia, India, Germany and the UK. The action comedy took $7.9m from 1,535 screens, for a screen average of $5,100.

Slumdog Millionaire enjoyed a 100% increase in week-on-week takings and held the second-highest screen average of the week with $11,100, due largely to its tremendous second-week performance in its home territory of the UK. With a 47% rise in revenue, Danny Boyle's Mumbai-set romantic drama had the highest-ever second-week increase for a UK film. Thanks to feverish media coverage of its Golden Globe wins and Bafta nominations, Slumdog took $3.9m from 330 screens, keeping Seven Pounds off the top spot and contributing to the overall three-day gross of $6.9m from 23 territories. Slumdog opens in Israel, India and Norway this weekend and will roll out further in February and March.

Paramount Pictures International's Revolutionary Road began its international run in five territories this week, including Germany where it placed fifth, grossing $1.4m from 348 screens. Overall the film took $2.5m from 510 screens for a $4,820 screen average. The film will expand to a further 11 territories this weekend, including France, Australia, Spain and Japan, and another 15 markets, including Italy and the UK, on the January 30-February 1 weekend.

Analysis: International box-office Weekend JANUARY 16-18
(Last3-day
week)Film (origin)gross $ScrsCume $Terr
1(3)Seven Pounds (US)$20,596,1943,505$41,635,78627
2(4)Twilight (US)$16,537,5463,318$146,563,26646
3(5)Yes Man (US)$13,224,9773,075$69,192,76245
4(6)Australia (US-Aus)$11,092,4814,638$120,439,62449
5(1)Red Cliff Part II (Ch)$10,754,6841,539$30,691,2284
6(2)Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (US)$9,074,9485,601$380,418,06848
7NewChandni Chowk To China (Ind)$7,860,7581,535$7,860,75823
8(17)Slumdog Millionaire (UK)$6,946,174626$17,675,8736
9(18)Bride Wars (US)$6,146,0381,123$10,179,00216
10(7)Bedtime Stories (US)$5,661,2703,197$69,114,47727
11(8)Transporter 3 (US-Fr)$4,894,4961,305$48,240,79121
12(11)Bolt (US)$4,614,5952,972$83,784,97330
13(29)The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (US)$4,368,7171,050$14,212,3348
14(62)Beverly Hills Chihuahua (US)$3,646,922912$28,986,00212
15(12)De L'Autre Cote Du Lit (Fr)$3,606,911614$8,738,1133
16(14)Defiance (US)$3,551,7721,053$8,488,4046
17(16)Role Models (US)$3,404,689563$8,364,3728
18*Saw V (US)$3,387,576998$53,113,3249
19NewPandemic (Jap)$3,339,419324$3,339,4191
20*Journey To The Center Of The Earth (US)$3,296,690463$128,959,9253
21(24)Marley & Me (US)$2,982,1441,167$13,066,40413
22(9)The Day The Earth Stood Still (US)$2,881,1602,068$146,610,18723
23NewPleasant Goat And Big Big Wolf (Ch)$2,572,300155$2,572,3001
24NewRevolutionary Road (US)$2,458,354510$2,458,3545
25(21)Changeling (US)$2,407,3851,075$42,924,55332
26(13)Che (US-Sp-Fr)$2,370,959861$19,843,5397
27NewMy Bloody Valentine 3D (US)$2,045,159191$2,045,1592
28(19)A Frozen Flower (S Kor)$1,930,489503$15,140,8321
29(25)Overspeed Scandal (S Kor)$1,877,887357$31,142,6821
30(26)If I Were You 2 (Bra)$1,796,126311$10,612,7751
31(15)Ghajini (India)$1,728,306586$36,852,73711
32NewThe Unborn (US)$1,698,380263$2,082,5272
33NewThe Wrestler (US)$1,543,818337$1,615,7484
34(10)The Inhabited Island (Rus)$1,375,482819$22,555,2502
35(22)The Tale Of Despereaux (US)$1,367,1301,752$19,691,09021
36(34)Welcome To The Sticks (Fr)$1,338,310499$237,243,9527
37NewAfterwards (Fr)$1,289,185261$1,289,1852
38(27)Wall-E (US)$1,145,779439$306,394,3726
39(33)Easy Virtue (UK)$1,112,567272$5,770,7824
40NewLa Guerre Des Miss (Fr)$1,012,100384$1,012,1002
* Re-entry (c) Screen International, compiled by Leonard Klady