Universal’s feel-good musical ‘Mamma Mia’ has totaled an eye-popping $307 million outside the United States, dwarfing its $139 million domestic take. And with back-to-back first-place finishes, it has kept overall foreign business decent at a time when moviegoing often lags.

With disruption from two major sporting events and fewer slam-dunk franchise pics, the overseas numbers weren’t expected to duplicate 2007’s stunning performance. But a variety of films that weren’t sure bets — notably “Mamma Mia!,” “Sex and the City,” “What Happens in Vegas” and “Kung Fu Panda” — managed to dazzle outside the U.S.