The new James Bond film, Skyfall, has smashed UK records to give it the biggest opening weekend in 007 film history.
The 23rd Bond film took £20.1 million (€25 million), notching up the second-biggest three-day opening for any film in the UK. But Skyfall failed to topple the £23 million UK record set last summer by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.
Daniel Craig’s Skyfall, which has been a hit with critics, topped box-office rankings around the world after opening on Friday. The film, which has not been shown yet in the US, notched up $77.7 million (€60.2 million) across the globe, and was number one in every country where it opened, Deadline reported. In the UK, as well as making history as “the biggest Bond opening weekend of all time”, Skyfall set a new record as the most attended film on a Saturday.
Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said of the film topping the UK box office: “We are absolutely overwhelmed . . . It is particularly thrilling as the UK is home to James Bond and it being the 50th anniversary year.”