Around the World Roundup: 'Da Vinci' Withstands 'X-Men'
Though it failed to unseat The Da Vinci Code for the foreign crown, X-Men: The Last Stand outshined its predecessors, grossing $76.1 million over the weekend from a near global launch that included all nations except Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan. The third entry in the Marvel Comics franchise is on course to surpass X2: X-Men United's $192.6 million final tally.

Meanwhile The Da Vinci Code flexed its muscle with an unprecedented second frame of $91 million, lifting its total at $317.5 million. In the coming weeks, the thriller will eclipse Ice Age: The Meltdown's $435.2 million to become the top grossing picture of the year.

In Asia, X-Men: The Last Stand towered over Da Vinci Code. X-Men yielded $1.4 million from 60 screens in Singapore, compared to Code's $373,772 from 50 ($1.6 million total). In the Philippines, it generated $1.1 million from 73 screens versus Da Vinci's $315,115 second weekend from 41 screens ($1.4 million total). However, The Last Stand failed to top X2's opening in Thailand with $1 million from 198 screens. Elsewhere, it made $774,172 in Malaysia from 68 screens and $503,163 in Indonesia from 52.

In Europe's major markets X-Men: The Last Stand received a mixed reception. It claimed the top spot in France with $10.8 million from 756 screens, while locally-filmed Da Vinci fell 36 percent to $7.7 million from 969 screens ($21.1 million total). X-Men also exceeded Da Vinci's second weekends in the United Kingdom, with $13 million from 446 screens, and Australia, with $5.1 million from 408 screens. Nearly everywhere else Da Vinci held firm and even rose four percent in the Netherlands to $2.2 million ($5 million total). In Germany, Da Vinci eased 17 percent to $11 million from 1,165 screens ($29.2 million total) while X-Men set a franchise low (in local currency) of $5.6 million from 885 screens.

Da Vinci Code saw significant drops in Italy and Spain, the two markets where the thriller holds the opening weekend record. In Italy, it dove 46 percent to $6 million from 910 screens ($23 million total), still leaving X-Men: The Last Stand's $2.1 million in the dust. It was also down 46 percent in Spain to $5.9 million ($20.3 million total), but ahead of X-Men's $4.6 million debut from 453 screens.

In Mexico, X-Men: The Last Stand topped X2 by 79 percent with a first place $6.5 million from 750 screens. Da Vinci Code tumbled 55 percent in the market to $2.9 million ($12.7 million total). Brazil was another win for the mutants as the movie grossed $3.5 million from 591 screens. In South America's smaller territories, though, Da Vinci mostly reigned supreme.

The Da Vinci Code continued to dominate the X-free Japan and South Korea. In Japan, it fell 20 percent to $9 million from 855 screens ($31.8 million total), while, in South Korea, it was down 44 percent to $4.1 million from 420 screens ($15.5 million total).

Amidst the heavy competition, Mission: Impossible III held its own last weekend, grossing $12.1 million for a $184.3 million total. South Korea continued to be its best market, off 31 percent in its fourth weekend to $2.7 million for a $32 million total.

The Poles favored The Wild more than the Brits in the computer-animated comedy's bid at counter-programming. In Poland, the family feature ranked second, above X-Men: The Last Stand, with $410,387 from 95 screens, while, in the U.K., the picture was a distant third with $2 million from 430 screens. Overall, The Wild sits at a disappointing $35.5 million.

In its foreign debut, Curious George was in direct competition with The Wild in the U.K. but only managed $619,532 from 320 screens. The children's cartoon was less impressive in Germany, with eighth place$551,916 from 346 screens. Overall, the picture eked $1.5 million out of four territories.

Poseidon docked in Taiwan two weeks before X-Men: The Last Stand and capitalized with a sizeable $1.6 million from 521 prints. The disaster picture has logged $9.9 million thus far.