Bond is back and he’s back with a bang. Well, Ian Flemming’s iconic agent 007 is back in 25 markets across the globe, at least.
“Skyfall,” the first James Bond film in four years, grossed an impressive $77.7 million overseas this weekend including a massive $32.4 million in the UK. Bond has always been popular on his native soil, but “Skyfall” is now the second largest debut in British history with only last year’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2” opening bigger.
Other key markets found a superb $9.1 million in France, $8.6 million in Russia, $6.5 million in Brazil and a strong $6.1 million in Korea.
This is a huge start for “Skyfall” internationally. Bond has traditionally been a bigger player overseas than in the U.S. with both “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace” grossing $426.7 million and $417.7 million respectively. However, based on this start “Skyfall” should outperform both previous Bond pictures globally. In even happier news for Sony Pictures and MGM, pre-release polling indicates “Skyfall” should easily surpass “Quantum’s” $67.5 million opening in the U.S.
“Skyfall,” directed by Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”), is the third film to feature Daniel Craig as the world’s greatest secret agent. Already critically acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic, the picture also stars Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Winshaw, Albert Finney and Bérénice Marlohe.
American audiences will have to wait two more weeks for Bond, however. “Skyfall” doesn’t open in the U.S. until Nov. 9.