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DreamWorks' and Warner Bros.' soggy sci-fi action film "The Island" is the latest hardcore proof that a movie doesn't necessarily need a high U.S. profile to perform overseas. In some cases, foreign revenues are spurring studios to make sequels to films that were perceived as underperforming in their own backyards. Thanks to the trend, producers and reps shopping rights say overseas buyers no longer covet a film's guaranteed Stateside release the way they once did. Prior to "Island" - which has so far taken in nearly $30 million more abroad than it has domestically, where its take is just $34.1 million - a number of movies that were pegged as domestic duds have done better abroad. In particular, overseas audiences embraced a raft of bloated historical epics that flooded the world market in the wake of "Gladiator's" success in 2000. Both "King Arthur" and "Alexander" made almost $100 million more overseas than they did Stateside. This summer's "Kingdom of Heaven" made $163 million abroad after topping out at $47.3 million in the States. But the trend extends beyond films with largely Brit casts that seem intrinsically Eurocentric (such as "King Arthur"). Fox's 2004 summer kidpic "Garfield: The Movie" was savaged by most critics and a swift slide to the videostore shelves was predicted. The CGI/live-action movie managed $75 million-plus in its domestic run, but shockingly clawed up $123.2 million overseas. It played particularly strongly in the U.K. ($17.2 million), Spain ($10.1 million), Germany ($8.8 million) and France ($8.2 million).

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