Theres no question about it: Bond is back, and U.S. moviegoers missed him.
After setting records in Europe, “Skyfall” dominated the U.S. box office on Friday, earning a massive $30.8 million.
The latest 007 adventure, directed by Sam Mendes (“American Beauty”) is on its way to a whopping $75-80 million for the weekend, with the help of pricier IMAX screenings. That would best “Quantum of Solace’s” debut haul of $67.5, making it the biggest opening in the Bond franchise’s 50-year history.
“Skyfall,” Daniel Craig’s third effort as the British agent, has already earned over $350 million overseas. That’s a lot of Moneypenny.
Meanwhile, Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph” continues to impress in its second week, scoring another $7.8 million. Its high score is currently at $68.4 and it looks like it will comfortably reach the $100 million mark in the U.S.
The Robert Zemeckis-Denzel Washington pairing “Flight” landed in third place, adding another $4.2 million to its domestic total. The Oscar potential reportedly only cost around $30 and is now in the black with a $36.9 million total.
Ben Affleck’s “Argo” continues to its strong release, picking up $1.8 million and bringing its domestic total to $80.8 million.
Holdover “Taken 2” rounded out the top five with $1.1 million. Its domestic take now stands at an impressive $128 million.
Further down the list , the limited release of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is off to a good start, pulling in $286,000 on just 11 screens in New York and L.A. (with a $24,376 average per screen). The historical drama stars Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th president, and opens wider next week.
Look for complete box office estimates Sunday on HitFix.