Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End raked in more than US$400 million since its release last week, smashing the previous industry record set by Sony's Spider-Man 3 earlier this month, according to studio figures released Monday.

The third, and probably the last, film of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has grossed US$401 million in last six days since opening in over 100 countries and territories, said Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Marketing and Distribution.

The epic adventure starring Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley overpassed Spider-Man 3, which set the previous record of US$381.7 million for a Hollywood blockbuster in a six-day period of opening.

Pirates opened in North America on Thursday and in some international theaters on Wednesday.

It hauled in US$115.1 million in North America over the three-day weekend, short of Spider-Man 3 and last summer's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which respectively took in US$151.1 million and US$135.6 million in their opening weekends.

But the film's four-day gross of US$142.1 million is the biggest ever Memorial Day weekend gross, surpassing last year's X-Men: The Last Stand, which brought in US$122.9 million over the four-day weekend.

At the international box office, Pirates adventure shattered records from Russia to Japan with its phenomenal US$245 million cume through Monday (including Monday estimates). The film had record-breaking openings (figures are through Sunday) in their respective markets in the following countries: Korea (US$18.4 million), Japan (US$15.9 million; US Productions only), Russia (US$13.7 million), Spain (US$11.6 million),? and Netherlands (US$2.8 million). It also set new Walt Disney Studio records in the UK (US$26.6 million), France (US$17.7 million), Germany (US$16.8 million) and Australia (US$9.9 million).

With its six-day tally of US$245 million, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End has set a new international record that surpasses the previous six-day high of US$232 million set by Spiderman 3 a few weeks ago. Pirates still has a few markets yet to open including China and India.

Commenting on the announcement, Zoradi said, "We knew that audiences all over the world were excited to see Johnny Depp and the rest of the fantastic Pirates cast in this latest adventure, but this record-setting response at the global box office has been nothing short of incredible. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End now has the distinction of having the biggest opening in movie history, and we're extremely proud of that achievement. Credit goes to the multitude of talent both in front of and behind the camera. Jerry Bruckheimer, Gore Verbinski and their exceptional teams as well as the creative minds of writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio have proven to be the perfect recipe for success."

At World's End is the third blockbuster in three weeks to break major movie sales records, and industry observers note that the red hot summer season has only started, with several major pictures including Ocean's 13, Transformers and Harry Porter and the Order of the Phoenix to be released in coming weeks.

DreamWorks Animation's Shrek the Third came in second over the three-day weekend with US$53 million, or US$69 million over the four-day holiday.

While Spider-Man?3 brought in US$14.2 million to take third over the three-day weekend, or about US$18 million over four days. The superhero action film has grossed a whopping US$307.6 million in North America since its record-breaking debut three weeks ago.

The thriller Bug, starring Ashley Judd as a lonely waitress who pairs up with a paranoid Gulf War veteran who sees bugs in a spooky motel room, came in fourth with US$3.3 million over three-days, and about US$4.2 million over the long weekend.

The comedy Waitress, about a waitress and master pie maker who finds herself pregnant while trapped in a bad marriage, came in fifth with US$3.1 million over the three-day weekend, and US$4 million through Monday.

The 12 top-grossing films brought in a combined US$250.2 million over the Memorial Day weekend, up 8 percent from the US$231.8 million generated during the same period a year earlier.
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(Xinhua News Agency May 29, 2007)