Posted: Mon., Feb. 11, 2008, 5:17pm PT

'Games' plays well again overseas

French comedy tops box office with $18 million

By Dave McNary

'Asterix at the Olympic Games' topped 'Cloverfield' for the weekend win at the overseas B.O.

French comedy "Asterix at the Olympic Games" scored its second straight weekend victory at the foreign box office with $18 million from half a dozen markets, again topping edgy horror-thriller "Cloverfield."

International audiences also showed solid support for Oscar fare, led by Fox's "Juno," with $8.7 million at 1,138 playdates, and "No Country for Old Men," with $5.2 million at 1,317. And in its first foreign foray following Friday's bow at the Berlin Film Festival, "There Will Be Blood" drew $706,000 at 93 in the U.K. and Australia.

Warner's "Fool's Gold" launched day-and-date in Australia -- where it was shot -- with a first-place $1.8 million, and Universal's "Definitely, Maybe" opened in fifth in the U.K. with $1.4 million a week ahead of its Stateside debut.

"Asterix" took its top coin from its French soph sesh with $10.7 million, a $2.6 million Spanish launch and its second German frame with $2.3 million. International cume has hit $56 million.

Paramount's "Cloverfield" cleared $12.8 million at 3,213, led by its $3.3 million French launch. International cume has hit $56.2 million midway through the foreign run, underlining the ongoing appeal of scare fare.

Disney's "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" collected $10.2 million at 2,766, powered by its $4.9 million first-place Brit launch. "Secrets" has hit $183 million overseas, trailing the domestic cume by $27 million, with openings next weekend in France and China.

Warner's sturdy "I Am Legend" banked $9 million at 3,400 thanks largely to an impressive Russian opening of $5.1 million. "Legend" has hit $317.4 million overseas, and its worldwide total has reached $571 million.

Warner also continued to slice up decent business from "Sweeney Todd" with $7.9 million at 2,100 to push the foreign cume to $59 million -- $7 million ahead of the domestic total.

"Charlie Wilson's War," still early in its foreign run with $26 million, took in $5.9 million at 1,562, mostly from launches in Germany, Italy and South Korea. Warner's "The Bucket List" scooped up $4.8 million at 1,478, boosting its foreign take to more than $20 million ahead of its U.K. launch next weekend.