Five days prior to its U.S. premiere Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban smashed opening day records in the United Kingdom.  The newest installment of the seven-part Harry Potter series was released on May 31 (Monday) to capitalize on the local holiday, which incidentally is also the first day of school half-term holidays.  Azkaban grossed a colossal $9.2m (£5.03m) from 535 locations in its opening day, which was the biggest opening day and single day of all time.  The Prisoner of Azkaban was the first film ever to gross over £5m in a single day in the U.K.  Its predecessor's had nowhere near that amount of money on their official opening days.  The Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone opened on November 16, 2001 and grossed $3.9m (£2.1m) from 505 screens while The Chamber of Secrets grossed $3.99m (£2.18m) from 522 sites on its first day on November 15, 2002.   The Chamber of Secrets went on to record the then highest single day gross with its Saturday (November 16,2002) take of $7.9m (£4.3m).  Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban opens in 50+ territories on Wednesday-Saturday, excluding, most notably, several Scandinavian territories and Japan.

The Day After Tomorrow recorded the biggest international opening of all time for a non-sequel with a $82.7m estimated weekend gross (which includes some previews).  The film grabbed the record thanks to being the widest day-and-date release ever at the international box office as it opened in 110 countries on 8,000+ screens.  The film has only Japan left to open in (as a major market) and it does that next weekend.

The Day After Tomorrow opened at No. 1 in most markets.  Most impressive was the U.K.'s $12.6m bow on 914 screens becoming the biggest opening of the year and Fox's fourth biggest ever.  Germany's recorded $8.9m on 991, which was also the biggest of the year.  Roland Emmerich's have always done incredibly well in Germany

The Day After Tomorrow took $5.6m on 850 in Mexico for Fox's biggest ever opening and the industry's second biggest bow behind Spider-Man and grabbed $1.7m on 496 in Brazil for Fox's biggest and the industry's seventh biggest ever bow.  Argentina produced $562,000 on 90.

The Jake Gyllenhaal headliner grossed $5.4m on 475 in Spain for Fox's second biggest opening weekend ever and the industry's 10th.  Australia yielded $4.8m on 402 and Russia grossed a massive $3.3m on 243 for Fox's biggest all-time bow there.

The Day After Tomorrow had many other superb starts.  The film grossed $4.9m on 726 in France, $4.2m on 594 in Italy, $1.1m on 95 in Belgium (the biggest opening of the year), $1.2m on 110 in the Netherlands, $1.2m on 100 in Sweden, $1.3m on 111 in Austria, and $1.2m on 106 in Switzerland.

Results from Asia were similarly fantastic.  The Day After Tomorrow scored $3m on 248 in Taiwan, took just under $2m on 220 in China for Fox's biggest ever bow and an all-time top five industry opening, recorded the all-time industry record opening in Hong Kong with $1.8m on 65, took $1.5m on 240 in Thailand, and $1m on 148 in the Philippines.  India produced $573,000 on 153 for Fox's second biggest bow ever and the industry's eighth (for a U.S. film) while Malaysia coined $665,000 on 92 for Fox's biggest opening ever and Indonesia grossed $282,000 on 67 for the Fox's second and the industry's eighth biggest ever bows.

The Day After Tomorrow broke several records in smaller Latin American markets.  In Uruguay the film grossed $47,000 on 12 to become Fox's biggest opening ever.  Venezuela yielded $325,000 on 70 for Fox's second biggest and the industry's third biggest bows of all time while Colombia produced Fox's second and the industry's seventh biggest bows ever with $401,000 on 110.

Although The Day After Tomorrow opens officially in Japan on June 5 the film has already broken a record with previews.  The film recorded Fox's third biggest ever one-day preview behind Star Wars: Episode I and II with $1.7m on 422.

Already ranking among the Top 10 all-time industry grossers in Russia, Turkey, and Greece, and additionally among the all-time Top 10 Warner Brothers' grosses in Germany and South Korea, Troy continued its spectacular international run to a cume to date of $217.6m thanks to a $40.3m third weekend from 9,7652 screens in 58 countries.  Troy made an estimated $4.7m on Monday, which would give it a $45m 4-day international weekend for a $60m worldwide 4-day weekend gross.  Its total, as of Monday estimates, stands at $222.3m.

Troy's most impressive markets by far have been Greece and Turkey.  The film already ranks as the second highest-grossing Warner Brothers' film of all time behind Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, and the ninth biggest industry film of all time in Greece.  To date, Troy has grossed a fantastic $5.7m (€4.8m).  Including Monday, the total is estimated to be $5.8m (€4.9m). Turkey is right behind Greece for record's achieved as Troy is the eighth highest-grossing film of all time industry-wide and the fourth highest for a Warner Brothers' release behind Vizontele Tuuba, The Matrix Reloaded, and Vizontele.  Troy ranked a very strong No. 1 in its third weekend, finishing far ahead of opener The Day After Tomorrow with an estimated $572k (Lira 879.6bn) from 260 screens.  The total through Sunday is $4.573m (Lira 7bn) and $4.648m (Lira 7.1bn) through Monday.

In sophomore sessions Troy has been solid.  In the U.K. Troy grossed an estimated $4.4m (£2.5m) from 504 situations for a total of $19.1m (£10.8m) - $19.5m (£11m) through Monday - a drop of 60% (including previews from last week).  Second weekend results were 20% better than The Last Samurai, 18% ahead of Saving Private Ryan, and 20% ahead of Pearl Harbor.

Troy moved to second place in Italy against the opening of The Day After Tomorrow with an estimated $3.6m (€3.0m) weekend gross from 825 screens, falling 42%.  These results were 111% better than Van Helsing and 95% better than Gladiator.  The estimated total trough Sunday is $12.5m (€10.4m) and $12.9m (€10.7m) through Monday.

Troy dropped only 14% from its opening weekend in Japan with an estimated gross of $48m (¥462m) from 568 screens, for an estimated $14.6m (¥1.673bn) cume - $15.3m (¥1.747bn) through Monday.  Results were 91% of The Last Samurai and 202% ahead of Gladiator.

In South Korea Troy remained a strong No.1 with an excellent estimated $3.4m (Won 4bn) weekend gross from 305 screens - a decrease of only 11%.  With an estimated nationwide total of $11.4m (Won 13.4bn) after the second weekend, Troy is now the fifth biggest Warner Brothers' film ever in South Korea.  The film has $11.7m (Won 13.8bn) through Monday.

Troy grossed an estimated $1.6m (Roubles 47.5m) from 227 screens in Russia last weekend.  Second weekend results outperformed The Last Samurai by 70%.  The estimated total of $6.7m (Roubles 195.3m) makes Troy the seventh biggest Warner Brothers' film of all time, and the 10th-highest industry grosser ever.  Troy has $6.9m (Roubles 201.5bn through Monday.

Third weekend results suffered from The Day After Tomorrow's unprecedented worldwide launch.  In Germany Troy grossed an estimated $3.4m (€2.9m) from 1,163 screens, tumbling 55%.  With an outstanding total of $25.2m (€21.3m), however, Troy already ranks as the ninth highest-grossing Warner Brothers' film of all time.  The film has $25.8m (€21.8m) through Monday.

France's third weekend gross of $2.6m (€2.2m) represented a drop of 44% as its total grew to $13.7m (€11.6m) - $13.9m (€11.7m) through Monday.  Spain's $2.6m (€2.2m) outing was down 41% from the previous weekend.  Troy's total there grew to $16.2m (€13.7m) making it WB's sixth biggest film of all-time.  The film has $16.2m (€13.7m) through Monday.

Troy fell a respectable 42% in Australia thanks to a third weekend gross of $1.8m (AU$2.5m) from 418 screens, for a cume to date of $11.7m (AU$16.7m) - $11.8m (AU$16.8m through Monday).  Mexico's weekend haul of $1.4m (Peso 15.8m) from 765 screens was a 51% drop, but its total is already at $11.2m (Peso 129.5m) through Sunday and $11.3m (Peso 131.4m) through Monday.

Van Helsing's international weekend estimate is $6.8m at 4,300 playdates in 42 territories.  $6,503,150 of the weekend estimate is from 4,072 playdates in the 39 UIP territories.  The international cume for all territories is $131.4m ($122,251,061 from UIP). 

In the U.K., Van Helsing had an solid fourth outing.  It was No. 3 behind The Day After Tomorrow and Troy with a $1,524,550 gross from 438 screens, off 48%.  Van Helsing has grossed $24.7m in 24 days, which is 22% ahead of The Mummy and 2% ahead of The Mummy Returns.   

In Germany, Van Helsing grossed $774,099 at 579 dates, off 62%.  It was No. 4 behind The Day After Tomorrow, Troy and Der Wixxer.  Van Helsing's 25-day cume is $16.3m.  It is 28% below The Mummy and 9% below The Mummy Returns. 

In Spain, Van Helsing had a good weekend.  It was tied with The Ladykillers for No. 3 behind The Day After Tomorrow and Troy with a weekend gross of $579,280 from 352 screens, off 55%.  Van Helsing's 24-day cume is $10.4m, which is 10% bigger than The Mummy and 20% bigger than The Mummy Returns. 

In Australia, Van Helsing grossed $550,591 at 228 dates, off 46% and it was No. 3 behind The Day After Tomorrow and Troy.  Van Helsing 25-day cume is $8.5m.  It is 12% below The Mummy and 18% bigger than The Mummy Returns.  It will pass the final total of The Mummy Returns ($9.2m) this week.     

In Mexico, Van Helsing grossed $337,037 at 319 dates, off 60% behind the opening of The Day After Tomorrow, which stormed Mexico with a 70% market share.  Troy was No. 2 and Van Helsing was No. 3.  Van Helsing's 24-day gross is $7.7m.  In Brazil, Van Helsing grossed $156,983 at 254 dates, off 60% and raised the 24-day cume to $3.1m.

Shrek 2 held decently in Southeast Asia with a $1,187,035 international weekend gross from 232 screens in five nations.  Hong Kong is Shrek 2's best market.  The film grossed $341,297 from 48 screens in its second weekend for a $1,413,793 10-day cume.  Malaysia had the best hold of all markets with just a 22% drop to $121,519 from 31 screens for a 11-day total (through Monday) of $417,233.  Shrek 2 continued to play well in Singapore ($320,791 on 26 - a drop of 36% - for a $1,158,863 total), the Philippines ($241,943 on 61 - a drop of 34% - for a $898,695 total), and Thailand ($161,485 on 66 - a fall of 54% - for a $642,887 total).

Released nearly ever now on home video/DVD The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King tumbled 73% to $46,967 from 766 screens in 33 territories pushing its international tally to $740,775,843 and its worldwide cume-to-date to $1,117,795,095.