Update: 'The King's Speech' overcomes 'Rango' at the international box office

(AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS)

After The King's Speech swept the Oscars, the story of the royal stutterer reigned over the international box office. After the final tallies staggered in for the weekend of March 5-6, the film kicked the early winner Rango out of the top spot, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

With four Academy Awards, the Best Picture experienced an "Oscar bump" around the world, jumping 30 percent in ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo, to earn the top position with $19.4 million and an international total of $186.7 million.

The King's Speech gained in Germany, where ticket sales improved 23 percent, while Japan gained 31 percent and Spain 65 percent. This weekend, the film passed the $300 million mark for worldwide totals.

The animated Rango, starring the voice work of Johnny Depp as an amusing pet chameleon in the Western town of Dirt, slipped into second place. The number one hit in the US had previously been called the weekend's worldwide winner.

In its first weekend, Rango took $16.8 million from 33 territories, finishing in first place in the UK, Mexico and Spain. It opens in Australia, Brazil and Italy this coming weekend.

Unknown had its best weekend so far, notching $9.8 million for a total of $25.6 million. The movie had a strong second place debut in France ($2.9 million) and a respectable $2.2 million start in the UK. Less impressive was its opening in Germany, where it only managed $1.7 million and a fifth place tally despite starring popular Germans Diane Kruger and Sebastian Koch.

The international top ten films last weekend:
1. The King's Speech
2. Rango
3. Black Swan
4. I Am Number Four
5. The Adjustment Bureau
6. Unknown
7. True Grit
8. Just Go With It
9. No Strings Attached
10. Doraemon (Japan)

The international box office is down 31 percent from 2010, partly due to the hit films last year, most notably Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and the all-time highest grossing film, James Cameron's Avatar.

Despite the lower take at the box office so far in 2011, the summer blockbusters, such as the Harry Potter finale in July and action hero movies scheduled each week, should compensate for the year's slow start.

RC