Animation Climbs to the Top of Foreign Box Office

Twentieth Century Fox and Homer Simpson are on a roll:

Fox's toon -- propelled by solid launches of $5 million in Russia and $3 million in Brazil plus respectable Euro holdover biz -- has continued to show impressive traction overseas. International cume is $270 million, or 62% of the $435 million worldwide total.

Should Sunday's estimates hold, "The Simpsons Movie" will become the only 2007 summer tentpole to take first place on four straight weekends, besting the three-peats achieved by "Shrek the Third," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Spider-Man 3." The toon will have also posted the longest winning streak at the foreign box office since Fox's "Night at the Museum" won five frames in a row early in the year.

A few details re that $270 million foreign gross:

The Simpsons Movie has collected $30.1 millon in Germany.

$20.4 million in France (vs. Ratatouille's red hot $25,533,074 mill).

$21.6 million in Spain.

$22 million in Germany.

$11.7 million in Mexico.

If Fox wasn't sure how the wide-screen son of their moneyed sticom would play around the world, I guess they know now. And it's a no-brain bet that they'll be gearing up to do another one.