The new James Bond film “Spectre” was No. 1 at the box office and opened to an estimated US$73 million (S$104 million) in the U.S. and Canada.
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Josh Greenstein, president, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Sony Pictures, is also “thrilled by the staggering numbers coming in from all corners of the globe, and we are very proud to be able to bring this legendary franchise to new heights”.
“That’s all I’ve ever tried to do with these films… just make the movies as memorable as possible”, he added, “Should I make another one or not make another one, I’m proud of the four I’ve made”.
Though critics were less enthusiastic, audiences polled by CinemaScore on average gave “Spectre” an A-minus grade.
The total domestic weekend box office was $164 million, according to Rentrak, the industry’s highest total since mid-July and a much-needed boost after what had been a quiet fall. “Skyfall” still tops them all with an opening weekend of $88.3 million.
Daniel Craig, who plays 007 in the movie, will be joined by French actress Lea Seydoux, the latest Bond Girl, and producer Barbara Broccoli on a three-day tour in China starting this Tuesday.
Animated family comedy “The Peanuts Movie” debuted with a strong second-place finish, grossing $45 million.
Holdovers The Martian, Goosebumps, and Bridge of Spies rounded out the top five, and The Martian held up even better than expected in its sixth weekend, falling only about 21 percent for an estimated $9.3 million. Its domestic total is now at $197.1 million, surpassing Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation to become the seventh biggest movie of the year. It earned $2.8 million in China, though its opening there was considered to be a “soft” one. Spectre has been well received by Bond fans and many would think that the film would go on to break records right away.
The film cost at least $250-M to produce after incentives and rebates, so will need to do sizable business at the global box office, or $900-M+ by a few estimates.
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Directed by Steve Martino, the film beat a cautious studio projection of $40 million, though it fell short of analyst projections that ran as high as $55 million. In the meantime, Trumbo, starring Bryan Cranston because the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter, opened to $seventy seven, 229 with a mean of $15,445. Spectre will also have to deal with a little movie called The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 later this month.
