UPDATED APR 1: Paramount, MGM and Skydance Productions’ G.I. Joe: Retaliation stormed to the top of the international class over the holiday weekend thanks to an estimated $80.3m debut that posted the best result of the year-to-date.

The international launch was almost double that of the much-maligned predecessor G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra in the same territories back in 2009.

The action sequel took $132m worldwide — just more than what has been circulated as the official production budget of $130m. Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce, Ray Stevenson and Bruce Willis star and Jon M Chu directed.

IMAX was in the thick of things as usual, generating $2.35m from 78 international IMAX screens for a solid $30,000 per-screen average and more than $7m worldwide.

Retaliation ranked number one in most of its territories led by Russia on $11m from 872 sites, South Korea on $6m from 761, Mexico on $6m from 580, Germany on $4.5m from 461 and Australia on $4.2m from 266. The film is scheduled to touch down in China on Apr 15 and Japan on Jun 8.

Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters added $3.3m from 31 markets to reach $161.2m and opened in the high growth market of Venezuela on $1m from 60 sites. Germany added $1.2m for $16.4m after five weekends.

  • UPDATE: DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods grossed a confirmed $52.2m from 12,943 screens in 59 markets in its second weekend through Fox International to reach $140.4m. As with G.I. Joe, Russia led the way on $6.1mfrom 2,166 in second place to boost the tally to $22.1m, followed by the UK on a $5m number one hold from 1,100 for $15.7m.

Australia generated a $4.9m number one debut from 506 while Italy produced a $3.7m number one hold from 829 for $8.6m. Germany delivered a number two result as $3.7m from 998 pushed the running total to $10.3m and Spain generated $3.6m from 777 for a number one hold that elevated the tally to $9.6m.

Danny Boyle’s Trance opened in the UK on $2.4m from 475, while Fox International Productions’ Dragon Ball Z pulled off a thunderous number one debut in Japan in association with Toei, grossing around $7.3m from 328 screens. This was also IMAX’s first Japanese DMR release and grossed $450,000 on the giant screens over two days for a $28,000 average.

A Good Day To Die Hard added $3.7m from 1,942 in 18 as the running total climbed to $230.2m. Hitchcock stands at $16.8m and Lincoln $81.8m.

  • UPDATE: Jack The Giant Slayer brought in a confirmed $25m from approximately 11,000 screens in 57 markets through Warner Bros Pictures International to push the running total to $96.3m.

The adventure fantasy debuted in China on approximately $6.8m from approximately 3,120 screens in its first seven days, while the French launch generated $2m from 489 to rank second.

Jack opened in Brazil in fourth place on $1.9m from 430 and Italy produced $1.4m from 299 in its opening weekend. The film has amassed $12.8m in Russia and $5.8m in the UK after two weekends and $2.9m in Spain after three.

Local title The Noble Family (Nosotros Los Nobles) opened in Mexico on $2.7m from 835 including previews. The comedy is an Alazraki Films production.

  • Oz: The Great And Powerful surged past the $200m mark through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International as an estimated $8.4m debut in China drove a $22.2m weekend that propelled the running total to $214m.

The global tally as reached $412.3m incorporating the North American result, which is poised at $198.3m. The leading international territories are Russia on $27.2m, the UK on $17.9m, Japan on $15.2m, Mexico on $14.1m and Australia on $13.1m.

  • UPDATE: Universal Pictures International reported that Identity Thief generated a confirmed $5.4m from 2,057 theatres in 25 territories to raise the tally to $16.3m. Germany produced a $1.8m debut from 415 sites. The UK was the top holdover territory as $1.2m from 440 boosted the tally to $4.3m after two weekends. Spain has produced $1.3m after the same period.

Mama added $2.1m from 31 for $55.4m, This Is 40 stands at $19.7m, Ted $330.2m,Anna Karenina $54.6m and Working Title’s Les Misérables $287.2m. The musical has powered its way to a $63.8m running total in Japan after 100 days and $63.9m in the UK after approximately 80 days or 12 weekends.

Next weekend Universal launches the Jurassic Park 3D in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Lebanon, Russia, Ukraine and the UAE. The rest of the world will follow over the next six months.

  • UPDATE: Django Unchained earned $1.4m through Sony Pictures Releasing International from 51 markets as the running total climbed to $253.8m overall and $49.2m in Germany after 11 weekends.

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