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Every age group forked over a ton of money to last weekend's international films. Monsters, Inc. and Ocean's Eleven couldn't get past each other tying for the lead with $21 million each as Collateral Damage saw the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger's international appeal.

Screaming into the United Kingdom with the country's fourth biggest opening weekend ever, Monsters, Inc. gobbled up $13.2 million on 503 screens for a phenomenal $26,000 screen average. It is only behind Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Could this be yet another film to cross the $50 million mark for domestic 2001 films (Potter and Rings have already accomplished that feat nearing $90 million and $80 million respectively)? Toy Story 2 debuted at $11 million and went on to take $68.8 million. If the film can hold at 20-25% this week and next (which may not happen with Ocean's Eleven's opening this weekend) Inc. should crack the top 10 all time U.K. box office.

Elsewhere Pixar's Monsters rang up spectacular numbers as well. In Spain the Oscar nominated toon rang up $1.9 million on 312, the market's second-biggest animated debut ever behind Tarzan. The film also mustered a combined $1.3 million in the Scandinavian markets as well as $407,000 in Hong Kong (where it was the Chinese New Year). Monsters' cume jumped to $81.4 million in 29 countries, also spurred by Germany's lucrative $6.8 million in 11 days. It was, however, number two there behind Rush Hour 2 which snared a dandy $4 million on 774 screens for an international total of $103 million (one of the many films that crossed the century mark last weekend).

Ocean's Eleven continued to play the cards well topping $111 million in 32 territories. The Steven Soderbergh-helmed picture scored $5.8 million on 789 in France, where Asterix et Obelix: Mission Cleopatre remained the undisputed champion with $11.6 million in its second excursion for $30.5 million total. Ocean's Eleven also debuted in Belgium ($885,000 on 70), Taiwan ($939,000 on 32), Hong Kong ($454,000 on 27), Switzerland ($274,000 on 24), and Colombia ($268,000 on 45). In Japan, the ensemble comedy raked in another $5.1 million for a terrific $17.7 million through its sophomore session.

Launching day-and-date with its domestic debut, Collateral Damage nabbed $622,000 on 89 in South Korea, $459,000 on 117 in Thailand (Schwarzenegger's second-highest debut there next to Eraser), $435,000 on 237 in Brazil, $190,000 on 35 in Singapore, and $122,000 on 50 in Malaysia. Collateral Damage should ride Arnie's international appeal all the way to the bank just as The 6th Day did grossing more than $72.1 million compared to its domestic tally of $34.5 million.

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone rode past the $600 million mark, a mark only one other film has passed (Titanic), to $602.3 million, reaping more than 117 million tickets, after earning $6.1 million for the weekend. With $24 million in the till in Spain, the boy wizard is now the third-biggest title of all time there overtaking The Others and The Sixth Sense, but The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is nipping at its heels with just under $24 million. The Fellowship banked $13.4 million last weekend putting its foreign tally across the $400 million mark to $412 million, spurred by Russia's superb $1.5 million in four days on 77 screens and Argentina's $2.6 million and Hong Kong's $1.7 million in 11 days.

Sailing into its first offshore market, The Shipping News took a strong debut in Australia with $323,000 on 86 screens posting the highest per-screen average in the top 10.

Two movies put up some surprising numbers, but not on the plus side. Black Hawk Down took a measly $494,000 on 220 screens in Italy whereas Ridley Scott's last picture, Hannibal, took $10.2 million total and his other picture, Gladiator, took $13.2 million. And in France Oscar nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius took a pint-sized $315,000 on 397 screens, but UIP is looking for much healthier figures when the midterm school vacations start later this month in Europe.

Next weekend Ocean's Eleven is the sole opener in the United Kingdom. Greenfingers, Hearts in Atlantis, Brotherhood of the Wolf, and Domestic Disturbance all take on the favorite, Shallow Hal, in Germany. In Australia Corky Romano, Heist, and From Hell square off. And in France A Beautiful Mind should take a gracious bow on 345 screens thanks to its Oscar nominations along with several French films.

Don't expect Ocean's Eleven to do anything less than $9 million in the U.K., but I predict it should ride Monsters, Inc.'s wealth with $14 million. Germany should be led by Shallow Hal with $3.5 million as Domestic Disturbance takes about $700,000. In Australia Ocean's Eleven should retain the lead and From Hell should take in about $800,000. And in France A Beautiful Mind could finish in at about $6 million.

These are my predicted foreign totals for the selected films:

A Beautiful Mind: $167 million

Monsters, Inc.: $204 million

Black Hawk Down: $141 million

Spy Game: $112 million

Ocean's Eleven: $205 million

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: $578 million

Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone: $624 million (I'm going out on a limb!)

Atlantis: The Lost Empire: $105 million

The Princess Diaries: $71 million

Shrek: $259 million

American Pie 2: $161 million