Bond is back with a vengeance: Skyfall opens on $80.6m

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UPDATE: Sony Pictures and MGM’s 23rd entry in the James Bond pantheon delivered an astonishing result as it opened top in all 25 markets, seven of them through Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) markets and the remainder through MGM licensees.

SPRI markets generated $62.7m. Leading the way was the UK on a confirmed $32.5m (£20.1m, a staggering debut from 1,868 screens that left a trail of records in its wake. This was the biggest launch of the year-to-date and the second biggest Friday-to-Sunday debut in history behind the Harry Potter finale. It also set a new Saturday attendance record and beat the opening weekends of Casino Royal and Quantum Of Solace by more than 76% and 30%, respectively.

007 plundered $10.5m from 825 screens in France (more than 39% ahead of the three-day Casino Royale debut and more than the entire five-day launch, but roughly 15% less than Quantum); $8.3m from 951 in Russia (around 171% bigger than the opening weekend of Casino Royale and 58% ahead of Quantum); $5.9m from 753 in South Korea for 49% market share (more than three times bigger than the Casino Royale opening an 58% bigger than the three-day launch of Quantum) and $3.1m from 537 in the biggest launch of the franchise in Brazil (130% bigger than Casino Royale and 37% ahead of Quantum).

Top of the pile from the MGM launches was Norway on $2.8m from 179 (ahead of Casino Royale by approximately 52% and Quantum by 15%), Sweden on $2.9m from 222 for the biggest launch of 2012 so far (ahead of Casino Royale by more than 27% although approximately 4% less than Quantum) and Denmark on $2.6m from 116 for the biggest non-3D launch in history. Records also fell in Finland where $1.5m from 137 set the biggest launch in history excluding previews.

Skyfall grossed $3.5m on Imax screens from 79 locations in 15 territories for a formidable $45,000 per-screen average. This was the best international non-summer/non-holiday opening in the company’s history. Imax’s global box office this weekend from Skyfall, Tai Chi Hero in China, Cloud Atlas and Paranormal Activity 4 – the last two in North American only – amounts to $6m.

The Skyfall Imax shows in the UK delivered the second best combined results for Friday, Saturday and Sunday (FSS) in Imax history and the BFI site in London is sold out for the next nine days with the exception of a few midnight shows. The film arrives in the US on Nov 8.

In other Imax highlights, 007 set the box office record in Kazakhstan, the best 2D FSS result in Russia, the second biggest opening weekend for an Imax Sony release in South Korea behind The Amazing Spider-Man in 3D and a tie for the best FSS launch in France with The Dark Knight Rises.

Hotel Transylvania added $18.2m from 5,550 screens in 50 markets as the early running total climbed to $91.3m. The animation arrived in second place in Spain on $3.6m from 623 and also debuted at number two in Germany on $2.6m from 770. It added $3.2m from 797 in the second weekend in Russia for $10.4m and brought in a further $1.1m from 706 in the UK for 7.4m after three and $1m from 441 in Mexico for $12.4m after five. Australia has generated $11.7m after five.

UPDATE: Paramount Pictures International (PPI) reported that Paranormal Activity 4 brought in a further $14.1m from 4,423 cinemas in 45 countries reported to reach a $48.3m running total.

The horror film debuted in 12 new territories. The best of the new arrivals was the Netherlands on $528,000 from 61 sites. Violent riots in Lima related to the relocation of a wholesale market have forced PPI executives to revise down earlier estimates of $655,000 in Peru. Paranormal Activity 4 opened top in Singapore on $327,000 from 26 cinemas and also debuted at number one in Malaysia on $239,000 from 52.

DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3 stands at $495.9m following an $8.5m haul from 2,153 cinemas in 28 countries.

The second weekend in the UK produced $4.7m for $17m and a second place hold behind the number one debut of Skyfall through Sony. Germany generated $2.3m from 740 for $32.4m after four weekends.

UPDATE: The Bourne Legacy grossed a confirmed $13.2m through Universal Pictures International from 5,686 sites in 231 territories. A $12.7m number one launch from 5,000 theatres in China over four days re-energised the action thriller and delivered in a brief period more money than the previous three franchise entries combined. The international running total stands at $140.2m and the global haul is $253.2m.

Ted added $5.4m from 2,006 in 37 for $270.9m, Pitch Perfect stands at an early $2.6m and rolls out in earnest over the coming months, while Savages has amassed $26.9m, ParaNorman $38.7m and Anna Karenina $10.3m.

UPDATE: EuropaCorp’s Taken 2 has crossed $300m worldwide and added a further $12.4m through Fox International from 5,207 screens in 65 markets for $202m including EuropaCorp territories. The UK led the way on $1.6m from 467 for $33.6m after four weekends. Also after four, China stands at $17.6m, Australia $17.8m and Mexico $7.8m. EuropaCorp territories added $4.6m over the weekend from 1,720 in 33 for a $57.8m international running total.

Ice Age 4 added $1.1 from 350 in Italy where the family smash has grossed $20.7m after five and the international running total has reached $712.4m. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is at $73.2m.

UPDATE: Warner Bros Pictures International reported that The Impossible stayed top for the third straight weekend in Spain as $5.8m from 643 screens propelled the tally to $34.3m.

Argo added $4.9m from 4505 screens in 15 markets as the Oscar contender’s early tally climbed to $6.7m. Argo took $2.2m from 351 screens in a number one launch in Australia and opened in third place in Spain on $986,000 from 244 sites.

The thriller stayed top in Taiwan as $302,000 from 68 nationwide screens boosted the tally to $1m.