The Province - November 17th, 2008
Bond rises to the occasion, surpasses expectations
Reuters
Published: Monday, November 17, 2008
The latest James Bond thriller dominated the box office in much of the world during the weekend, boosted by a record opening in North America, distributor Columbia Pictures said.
Quantum of Solace sold $70.4 million US worth of tickets in its first three days of release across the U.S. and Canada. Industry pundits had forecast an opening in the $60 million range.
The record for a Bond opening was held by Die Another Day, which earned $47.1 million during its first weekend in November 2002.
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Font:****Quantum of Solace and its 2006 predecessor, Casino Royale, which opened to $40.8 million, starred Daniel Craig. The laconic English actor has invested the famed agent with a darker, more complicated personality.
The new film also earned $56.1 million in 73 countries during the weekend. Having begun its international run two weeks ago, the foreign total now stands at $251.6 million. With a worldwide haul of $322 million, the film is fast approaching the $594 million tally of Casino Royale.
The $200 million film was directed by Swiss-German filmmaker Marc Forster, who made his name with smaller pieces such as the Oscar-winning domestic-abuse saga Monster's Ball and the James Barrie melodrama Neverland.
While critics have approved of Bond's less-campy demeanor, they were less than enthused about the plot of the new film. Bond travels the world battling a villain (Mathieu Amalric) looking to control natural resources. Along the way, the vengeful hero earns the enmity of the British and U.S. spy agencies.
Top 10 movies
1 Quantum of Solace,
$70.4 million US
2 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, $36.1 million
3 Role Models,
$11.7 million
4 High School Musical 3: Senior Year,
$5.9 million
5 Changeling,
$4.2 million
6 Zack and Miri Make a Porno, $3.2 million
7 (tie) Soul Men,
$2.4 million
7 (tie) The Secret Life of Bees,
$2.4 million
9 Saw V, $1.8 million
10 The Haunting of Molly Hartley,
$1.6 million
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