The alien-busting agents of Men in Black III in 3D toppled the superhero team of The Avengers this weekend at the international box office, opening in 103 markets and seizing the top position with $132 million.
The sci-fi action comedy starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin pulled in $202 worldwide, per The Hollywood Reporter. In China, with $20.6 million, MIB III scored better than the Avengers and Battleship openings to rank as the country's seventh-biggest opening of all time.
The time travel-themed threequel also opened strong in Russia with $18.8 million, in Korea it grabbed $8.5 million and in Japan it earned $8 million.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, who helmed the first two films, the third installment is the best-performing film in the franchise. The first Men in Black made $84 million in its first six days in 1997 and MIB II earned $87.2 over a five-day holiday opening in July 2002.
The global hit is 2012's second largest grossing debut after The Avengers. The hit film also won the Memorial Day holiday weekend in North America with $70 million.
Slipping to second after four weeks on top, The Avengers earned another $26.3 million over the weekend from 54 territories, bringing the worldwide gross to almost $1.3 billion.
The Marvel film is now the fourth all-time box office hit worldwide, after Avatar, Titanic and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, before Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon.
In third place, Tim Burton's Dark Shadows grossed $13.1 million in 53 territories. The big screen version of the 1970's gothic soap opera starring Johnny Depp is strongest in European markets and Japan, reaching $169.5 million, despite the big blockbusters.
Fourth is Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator, taking $11.8 million in 29 markets. The comedy reached second in Australia and the UK to draw nearly $92 million worldwide.
Finishing in fifth is American Pie: Reunion with $3.3 million across 40 markets, dropping from last week's third place ranking. The fourth sequel in the comedy franchise has collected a total of $216 million worldwide with nearly 74 percent earned internationally.
RC
