The buccaneers remain the unchallenged kings of the world as the fifth frame of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" dominated international moviegoing with $57 million at 8,503 playdates in 47 markets.

Thanks to a robust French launch and impressive holdover biz, BVI's "Pirates" sequel grossed more overseas than double the combined weekend takes of the next four films -- "Superman Returns," "Miami Vice," "Cars" and "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties."

With "Dead Man's Chest" so overwhelming, rivals have been opting to limit launches until the sequel cools down.

It was the biggest overseas weekend yet for "Dead Man's Chest," which has cumed $392 million in foreign coin, exceeding the domestic gross by $12 million to hit $772 million worldwide.

With 17% of foreign markets not yet open -- including Spain and Germany -- "Chest" will likely pass "Finding Nemo" at $865 million worldwide in a few more weeks to become Disney's top performer in combined grosses.

"Dead Man's Chest" is also the first film since "Ice Age: The Meltdown" to lead the foreign box office for five straight weekends. It could tie the record of seven set three years ago by the original "Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl."

The performance by "Dead Man's Chest" kept overall foreign biz healthy as the frame's take easily bested the same 2005 session, when "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" led with $14.4 million followed by "The Island" with $12.7 million.

"Pirates" grabbed its largest haul from France, with $18 million at 700 playdates, ranking among the three top openers for a U.S. film. However, it fell short of the all-time $24 million record set earlier this year by French comedy "Les Bronzes 3."

"Chest" also set a BVI opening record in Hong Kong, with $1.6 million at 35 sites, and launched impressively in South Africa, with $670,000 at 85.

The third Japanese frame fell only 25% to $4.6 million at 764.

Brit biz remained bright for "Chest," with a 32% decline to $3.4 million at 485, lifting Blighty grosses to $80.6 million after five weeks. And Belgium became the first market to see a hike from the opening frame, with "Chest," rising 4% in its soph sesh to $2.2 million at 101.

Swiss "Chest" grosses also rose 27% to $2 million at 151, thanks to the addition of 50 sites in French-speaking markets. Mexico declined 53% in its third frame to $1.4 million at 791 while Brazil was off 39% in its third weekend to $1.2 million at 480.

By contrast, "Superman Returns" remained on a far lower trajectory, with $7.1 million from more than 5,100 prints in 55 markets, lifting the foreign cume to $146 million and the worldwide take to $336 million.

"Superman Returns" had been expected to provide a one-two punch with "Dead Man's Chest" in foreign markets, but the Man of Steel has shown only modest traction and the international cume for the pricey tentpole is now just 37% of "Chest," while the worldwide is 43% of "Chest."

"Superman Returns" posted its top figure in its fourth frame in the U.K. with $1.2 million at 384, down 52% for a Brit cume of $25 million -- $55 million short of "Chest."

UIP's first major foreign launches of "Miami Vice" put the arm on $7 million at 1,275 playdates in 11 markets, led by a respectable first-place U.K. opening with $4 million at 406 and 20% share. Debuts were more moderate in Mexico with $950,000 at 336, good enough for third place, and in Russia with $750,000 at 230.

"Vice" has 44 foreign markets left, with Australia next on Thursday, followed by France Aug. 16.

A trio of family-friendly toons took the next three slots, led by BVI's "Cars" with $6.7 million at 3.944 playdates in 35 markets -- most coming from a Brit soph sesh, down 31% to $3.6 million at 513. "Cars" has cumed $128 million internationally and $365 million worldwide.

Fox's "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties" followed with $6 million at 2,700 in 25 markets, including a Swedish launch of $386,000 at 120. The kidpic's cumed $33.7 million overseas, $6 million more than its domestic take, but far short of the $125 million foreign cume for "Garfield: The Movie" in 2004.

UIP's "Over the Hedge" grossed $5.9 million at 3,964 locations in 49 markets with the top figure from a third German frame that saw a 19% hike to $1.7 million at 630. "Hedge" launched unimpressively in Japan with $884,000 at 234; foreign cume has hit $132.7 million, lifting worldwide take to $286 million.

UIP's "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" still showed some traction with $4 million at 2,100 in 38 markets, pushing the foreign cume to $70.7 million. And UIP's "The Break-Up" remained a moderate foreign performer with $3.3 million at 1,160 playdates in 33 markets for an offshore cume of $45 million.

Sony's "Click" clicked a bit overseas with $3 million at 550 in 10 territories, led by a Russian launch of $1.3 million at 277, the biggest opening for an Adam Sandler pic, and a No. 1 opening in Taiwan with $955,000 at 76. Sony also saw "Monster House" scare up $2.2 million at 572 in six markets, led by a first-place launch in Mexico with $1.8 million at 572.

Warner saw moderate grosses from "The Lake House," with $2.8 million at 1,600 in 31 markets for a foreign cume of $29 million. And its "Poseidon" nearly disappeared with $1.5 million, for an international total of $117.6 million.

UIP's "Mission: Impossible III" neared the end of its run with $2 million at 770. Total foreign cume is $252.3 million and worldwide total has hit $386 million.

Fox's British launch of "My Super Ex-Girlfriend" generated lukewarm returns in fifth place with $1.4 million at 296 playdates.