Spider-Man rules the world

It might have had mixed reviews ("Fun factor nil", sniffs The Guardian), but after a record-breaking US opening, Spider-Man 3 has now demolished the international box office record with nearly £114 million at 16,700 playdates in 105 countries in six days. Variety reports that's almost £32 million more than the foreign launch mark set by The Da Vinci Code a year ago in its first five days.

No doubt helped by a huge marketing campaign culminating in eight international pre-ems, Spider-Man 3 set records in 26 foreign markets including Brazil, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia and South Korea. Asia in particular sparked strongly to Spidey with new highs in every single territory.

Even in markets where the pic's opening didn't topple records, Variety reports nearly all the openings eclipsed the first two Spidey pics. In Britain it was set to be the third-biggest three-day opening with £11.45m, after Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

Looks like we could be in for a stonking summer box office even if it is packed with sequels, including Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End and Shrek The Third.