Daniel Craig returned to the big screen in the UK this weekend in Skyfall, reprising his role as James Bond in the twenty-third instalment in the longest-running franchise in the history of cinema.
Naturally, there was a lot of anticipation and buzz surrounding the film, which was earning very positive early reviews in the run-up to its release – you can read our review here.
And with the weekend now officially winding down, the early numbers are in, and all estimates point to Skyfall having a fantastic opening in the UK, as well as in two-dozen other markets internationally.
Here in the UK, Sam Mendes’ Bond debut has taken an estimated £20.1m., and has a number of box office records now to its name. Deadline report that it had the highest attendance of any Saturday on our shores, the highest opening weekend of the year to date, the highest 2D three-day weekend of all time, and the 2nd-highest three-day weekend of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (in 3D).
Across its twenty-five markets, the film has taken a brilliant $77.7m., and placed #1 in each and every one.
France took a handsome $9.1m., Russia took $8.6m., Brazil took $6.5m., Korea took $6.1m., Norway took $2.7m., Sweden and Denmark each took $2.6m., and some excellent openings across a handful of other territories across Europe.
We heard late last week that John Logan is set to return in the writer’s role, and has a pitch that will see the first two-film arc for Bond, for which Daniel Craig is once more set to return.
Skyfall will be opening in the US on 9th November, and will be getting its IMAX bow a day early on 8th November, and following a record-breaking weekend here in the UK, and some terrific early numbers across the world in its first three days, the expectations are naturally very, very high for its American opening.
