Ridley Scott’s The Martian added $9.3 million, bringing its overall box office take to just under the $200 million mark, which the film could surpass by the time final ticket counts are tallied.
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Daniel Craig’s iconic British spy executed with a $73 million tally, according to studio estimates.
The film also set a new record in Denmark for the biggest three-day opening of all time, as SPECTRE took in 28.1 million krone ($4.21 million USD), also surpassing Skyfall.
Josh Greenstein, president, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Sony Pictures, said, “We are 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”.
Distributor Sony, who co-produced the film with Eon Productions and MGM, tried to manage expectations going into the weekend, predicting an opening in the $60 million range.
It is not surprising that two icons like James Bond and Charlie Brown can draw in the crowds even though they are both over 50 years old. But the 24th Bond is an global steamroller, crushing records in the United Kingdom and other markets worldwide, where it’s already crossed $300 million. The film opened in just a few foreign countries this weekend, but had a soft start in China, fetching just $2.8 million.
“The Peanuts Movie” provided a family-friendly alternative to James Bond’s guns and martinis and took second place with a strong $45 million. Its domestic total is now at a $66.5 million, which is slightly healthier than the number for our No. 5 movie this weekend, Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies.
Brooklyn, a 1950s immigrant story starring Saoirse Ronan, took in a respectable US$181,000 from five cinemas over the weekend, after opening on Wednesday. But its sizable worldwide grosses make clear that Bond, at least starring Craig, has become something more commercially powerful than a mere workhorse.
November came crashing into theaters this weekend, finally pushing the lingering successes of a weak October out of the way and setting up what is likely to be one of the stronger holiday seasons at the box office.
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On the surface, it seems like there should be nothing to complain about regarding this week’s box office.
