'Gladiator' slays B.O. o'seas, Down Under

Crowe starrer sets foreign records, 'Brockovich' still tops

By DON GROVES

Awesome foreign preems by “Gladiator” in Australia and Mexico galvanized those territories last week, while exhibs in sun-drenched, product-starved Europe say Ridley Scott’s epic can’t come quickly enough.

The sword-and-sandals saga nabbed $4.7 million at 287 arenas Down Under, an all-time opening-week record for distrib UIP, beating previous champ “The Lost World: Jurassic Park.”

Surpassing tradesters’ expectations in Oz, the actioner toplining local-boy Russell Crowe notched the territory’s third-biggest bow in history behind “Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace” and “Independence Day.”

In Mexico, “Gladiator” seized $2.1 million in six days on 435.

In what turned out to be effective counterprogramming Down Under, Roadshow launched “Looking for Alibrandi,” a local coming-of-age story helmed by Kate Woods, which drew a fair number of teenage girls.

“Erin Brockovich” was the frame’s top earner overseas, raking in an estimated $10.8 million on 3,819 screens, propelling its cume to about $81.8 million. The Julia Roberts starrer had nifty debuts in South Korea and Hong Kong and a buoyant soph session in France.

“American Beauty” minted $7.8 million on 1,068 screens in 20 countries and its cume topped $194 million. DreamWorks’ pic fetched a fine $9 million in 12 days in Japan but could not match the astonishing “The Green Mile,” which towered at $46 million in its seventh sentence. “Mile’s” cume is $127.6 million.

Expect “The Beach” to reach $100 million on the back of its perf in Japan, where it’s bagged $11.3 million in 20 days. Cume through May 11 stood at $97.4 million.

Reflecting soft trading in Europe, the Sandra Bullock vehicle “28 Days” had groggy entries in Germany, Austria, the Philippines and Switzerland in its first offshore engagements.

“Mission to Mars” took pole position in Italy with a solid $1.4 million in six days on 250.“Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo” entered depressed Spain at No. 1 with an unexceptional $700,000 in six days on 180. Its cume is $22.3 million with dates to come in France, Italy, the U.K. and some smaller fry.

“Scream 3” (estimated cume $42 million) scared up a respectable $403,000 on 42 in Argentina but tumbled by 63% after a terrific preem in the U.K.