MUMBAI: With a historic opening, not only has the Indian Films-Studio 18 release, Welcome outstripped competition and emerged winner at the box-office, but the numbers in the overseas have also surpassed those of all erstwhile solo Akshay Kumar titles, creating a new record for the actor.

In the UK, the preview and opening weekend gross was £370,000 (approx) from 40 locations.

In the UAE, the five-day business of Welcome was nearly as much as the lifetime gross of Kumar’s earlier hits. The business to date is AED 1.8 million from 29 locations.

In the US, the first two days grossed $100,000 only from the mainstream theatres (independents excluded). In almost every mainstream location, Welcome out-grossed even the major Hollywood openers like Charlie Wilson’s War, P.S. I Love You and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Akshay Kumar says, “Three previous hits and now Welcome creating records, 2007 has been a year of box-office fortune! I’m glad that I’m ending 2007 on a high (literally) with Welcome, my highest overseas opener.”