QUENTIN Tarantino enjoyed the biggest opening of his career to date as Inglourious Basterds flew to the top of the US box office with an estimated $37.6 million.

The World War II epic also performed well overseas, taking a glorious $65.1 million globally [including the US].

The film, which stars an international cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender and Diane Kruger, follows the fortunes of a number of inter-linked characters in Nazi Occupied France during the course of the Second World War. In typical Tarantino fashion, it even re-imagines history.

Buoyed by enthusiastic reviews, the opening figures in the US easily surpassed those of the director’s previous best performer, Kill Bill: Volume 2, which took $25.1 million.

They also beat the opening day figure posted by District 9 last week to become the second highest R-rated opener in August behind American Pie 2 ($16.5 million) with $14.3 million on the first-day Friday.

Next story: Bryan Singer developing Excalibur remake

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