“Samurai” swept smartly to the top spot in its openings in Australia, Brazil, France, Greece, Mexico and South Africa while remaining No. 1 in its soph sesh in Germany, Holland, Italy and Spain. The epic also remained an impressive performer in Japan, where its seven-week cume hit $85.3 million, accounting for nearly half of the foreign total of $165.5 million as of Jan. 21.

“Samurai” gave Gallic biz a major bump: Overall biz jumped 16% as the Cruise starrer scored $5.7 million in its first eight days at 600 playdates amid exhib hopes for ongoing playability despite lukewarm notices from local crix.

In Germany, overall grosses declined 19%, but exhibs were enthusiastic about “Samurai” and saw its relatively small 23% decline in its second weekend as a portent of strong staying power. Cume after a dozen days hit $10.7 million.

“German viewers love Tom Cruise,” one Teuton exhib enthused. “He’s as big here as in the States. ‘The Last Samurai’ is a period film and, like a Western, it’s not for everyone. Yet it’s attracting a lot of male viewers who come for the action, as well as female viewers who come to see Tom Cruise.”

Spanish B.O. increased 5% as the soph frame of “Samurai” slid only 24% and its 12-day cume hit $11.3 million. “The surprising thing about ‘Samurai’ is that it bowed strongly on a large spread — 428 prints — and is still going great guns, despite the wide launch. It should continue strongly,” a Spanish booker said.

U.K. takings totaled $11.9 million as of Jan. 21, with Blighty bookers impressed by the mild 25% decline in “Samurai’s” soph sesh. One exhib noted “Vanilla Sky” declined 36% after its opening.