‘Fockers’ top-grossing live-action comedy ever

It used to be an axiom in Hollywood that comedies don’t travel overseas, except those of the animated variety – but the world hadn’t met the Fockers.

Universal’s “Meet the Fockers,” thanks to its overseas performance, has become the top live-action comedy ever, grossing $498 million overall.

That includes $221 million from theaters abroad on top of its $277 million in the United States.

The previous worldwide comedy king was “Bruce Almighty,” which grossed $241.7 million at the international box office, nearly matching its domestic figure of $242.8 million for a total of $484.5 million.

While “Home Alone” remains the domestic comedy champ with about $286 million, “Fockers” easily surpassed the $192 million that 1990’s “Alone” grossed overseas.

Even at those numbers, comedies don’t come close to the blockbuster “Titanic,” which grossed $1.2 billion overseas and $600 million domestically and holds the worldwide box-office record.

In second place is “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” with $1.1 billion, followed by “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.”

Not every U.S. comedy falters in the international market, it’s just that most haven’t performed as well as they do at home.

“Straight comedies don’t travel well,” said Brandon Gray, president of tracking firm Boxofficemojo.com. “It’s a cultural thing.”

But that’s starting to change, says Jeff Blake, vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment,

“Those rules just aren’t true anymore,” he says, “especially if the pictures are good and the stars get out there and promote them.”

A case in point is Sony’s “Hitch,” starring Will Smith, which is doing quite well overseas. Sony reports that its worldwide total stands at about $260 million, with $100 million and counting coming from overseas, where it has been the No. 1 movie for the last three weeks.

But Smith’s draw as an action-movie star may be as big a factor as the film, his first romantic comedy.