Daniel Craig Starring Bond Film "Skyfall has $90 Million US Opening

Skyfall Explodes with $515M Worldwide As Biggest Bond With $90M Domestic Opening

SUNDAY 9AM, 8TH UPDATE: Sony Pictures, MGM, and Eon Productions just announced that Skyfall, the 23rd and biggest grossing in the James Bond film series, earned another $89.0M million this weekend overseas bringing the international total to $428.6 million. With this weekend’s $90M opening in the U.S. and Canada, the Sam Mendes-directed, John Logan-scripted, Daniel Craig-starring actioner now has an estimated $518.6M worldwide. Yowza!

“Skyfall blew past all expectations for the film,” gushed a Sony exec today, calling it “the biggest juggernaut in the history of the James Bond franchise”. Despite a four year hiatus during which some cynics thought 007 had jumped the shark, Skyfall opened in North America much larger than anyone thought. Rival studios thought Sony was low-balling with its $75M pre-release estimate. And on Saturday morning, the studio begged me to lower my sources’ $88M weekend estimate. But the actual number is $87.8M ($31.7M Friday, $33.9M Saturday, and an estimated $22.2M Sunday). Add in Thursday’s select 463 IMAX preview screenings and Skyfall‘s cume is now $90M. This is absolutely the biggest-grossing 007 movie ever in the string of films since 1962 – not adjusted for inflation or higher ticket prices or IMAX premiums. It blows away Quantum Of Solace‘s $67.5M opening weekend in November 2008. After Skyfall received a coveted ‘A’ CinemaScore from audiences, word of mouth bumped grosses +7% from Friday to Saturday - even though Friday’s gross included $2.4M from Friday midnights. Skyfall‘s 3,505-run wide release in U.S. and Canada also set a new theater count record for the franchise and its #1 opening is the ninth to be released by Sony Pictures in 2012. IMAX took in $13.1M at their theaters as part of Skyfall‘s weekend box office. Exit polls showed 60% of the opening weekend audience was male and 40% was female with 25% under 25 years old. Sony also says the exits showed “extraordinary recommend numbers” so expect a great holiday run.

Internationally, Skyfall opened overseas October 26th, and going into this Friday the actioner had taken in $346.8M internationally. But Hollywood was betting that the worldwide total would be a gargantuan $500+M through Sunday - and it was. Sony’s markets earned $79.6M to bring the cume to $367.4M. MGM’s distribution partners grossed $9.4M to bring their cume to $61.2M. James Bond #23 has now passed the $407.7M lifetime of Quantum Of Solace and on Monday will pass Casino Royale‘s $432.2M. As for top markets, the UK fell off just 30% in its 3rd weekend, grossing a huge $18.2M to bring the cume to $117.5M. It’s now the 4th biggest film of all time in the UK with £72.9M (and the biggest non-3D film) on its way to becoming #2 of all time on Monday. Germany was off just 30% from its opening frame, adding $15.1M for $44.0M. Others include France now $42.5M, Holland $9.4M, Switzerland $10.9M, Italy $12.1M, Russia $22.0M, Spain $9.9M, Sweden $11.3M, India $8.5M, Mexico $5.8M, Brazil $10.6M, Denmark $9.9M, Norway $9.1M, Korea $14.1M, and Austria $5.4M.