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Box Office: Bond's SOLACE Makes for Best 007 Opening
By
Jarrod Sarafin
November 16, 2008
Agent 007 (Daniel Craig) deals with harsh desert action in QUANTUM OF SOLACE(2008).
© MGM/Columbia Pictures
Two years ago, Daniel Craig became the new Bond when Casino Royale rolled into theaters with a debut of $40.8 million. With his second effort two years later, MGM has nearly doubled that mark with Quantum of Solace by grabbing the best Bond opening weekend ever tally of $70.4 million this weekend. Solace opened up in only 17 more theaters then its predecessor Royale but with a running time 40 minutes shorter, it allowed for more showings per day for a lot of theaters and the average rate came in around $20,400 per showing.
If you include the film’s amazing oversea total of $251.6 million from the past few weekends, MGM has racked up $322.0 million worldwide with Quantum of Solace. This has it very likely beating Casino’s worldwide total of $594.2 million by the time the film is all said and done.
Meanwhile, Paramount and DreamWorks didn’t do half bad with their returning Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa landing in 2nd place in its second weekend at the box office. The animation pulled in an estimated $36.1 million across the country on 4,065 theaters, which has it averaging $8,888 per showing. It has grossed $118.0 million domestically and if you include its $40.1 million from foreign markets, the film has $158.1 million worldwide after ten days of release.
Universal Pictures’ buddy comedy Role Models follows in 3rd place with a decent $11.7 million in sales this weekend, which has it in the profit margins after ten days of release. The film has grossed $38.1 million domestically and has a budget of only $28 mil.
The rest of the films couldn’t reach $6 million in sales with the top performers taking the majority of audiences’ attention.
Walt Disney lands in 4th place with its successful High School Musical 3: Senior Year managing another $5.8 million in ticket sales this weekend. With the new numbers, it now has a domestic gross of $84.3 million. If you add its foreign gross of $110.3 million, the musical has grossed $194.7 million worldwide. A very profitable tally for Disney seeing how it cost only $11 million to produce.
Universal Pictures and director Clint Eastwood grabbed the 5th place with Changeling pulling in an estimated $4.2 million on 1,896 theaters across the nation. After four weeks of release, the film has grossed $27.6 million domestically. Since its budget is $55 million, it still needs to go a bit further these next few weekends.
Director Kevin Smith and The Weinstein Company followed in 6th place with their latest comedy collaboration Zack and Miri Make a Porno taking $3.2 million on 2,210 theaters. This third weekend’s numbers place the film over its $24 million budget cost with a domestic gross of $26.5 million. And it doesn’t have very far to go to become Smith’s best box office performer which is Dogma at $30.6 million.
MGM also finds the top 10 with its returning Soul Men managing 7th place in its second weekend of release. The film pulled in another $2.4 million and has a domestic gross of $9.4 million. No budget has been release for one of Bernie Mac’s last acting efforts after he passed away last summer.
Fox Searchlight continues to add profits for its drama The Secret Life of Bees. The film took the 8th place and grabbed another $2.4 million this weekend on 1,449 theaters. After five weeks of box office release, the film which cost only $11 mil to produce has grossed $33.6 mil in domestic sales.
Lionsgate is likewise adding to their very successful Saw franchise with Saw V taking the 9th place this weekend with an estimated gross of $1.7 million on 2,002 theaters. The film which cost only $10.8 million has grossed $55.4 million domestically. If you add its foreign gross of $26.0 million, the fifth installment has grossed $81.4 million worldwide.
And the final spot goes to The Haunting of Molly Hartley which managed only $1.6 million on 1,587 theaters across the nation. In three weeks of box office release, the Freestyle film has pulled in only $12.6 million in sales.
| Rank | Movie | Weekend | Theaters | Average | Total | Budget |
| 1 | Quantum of Solace | $70.4 mil | 3,451 | $20,400 | $70.4 mil | 200 |
| 2 | Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | $36.1 mil | 4,065 | $8,888 | $118.0 mil | 150 |
| 3 | Role Models | $11.7 mil | 2,798 | $4,185 | $38.1 mil | 28 |
| 4 | High School Musical 3: Senior Year | $5.8 mil | 3,202 | $1,836 | $84.3 mil | 11 |
| 5 | Changeling | $4.2 mil | 1,896 | $2,240 | $27.6 mil | 55 |
| 6 | Zack and Miri Make a Porno | $3.2 mil | 2,210 | $1,448 | $26.5 mil | 24 |
| 7 | Soul Men | $2.4 mil | 2,048 | $1,186 | $9.4 mil | ---- |
| 8 | The Secret Life of Bees | $2.4 mil | 1,449 | $1,656 | $33.6 mil | 11 |
| 9 | Saw V | $1.7 mil | 2,002 | $894 | $55.4 mil | 10.8 |
| 10 | The Haunting of Molly Hartley | $1.6 mil | 1,587 | $1,039 | $12.6 mil | ---- |
And next week, it’s going to be families versus teenagers at the box office. One of the most anticipated films with young audiences this fall (according to polls) is the highly anticipated release of Twilight, which is based on the Stephenie Meyers’ vampire novels. Summit Entertainment has the film hitting at least 3,200 theaters next weekend so it should do very well.
The only issue is that Walt Disney is also releasing their latest animation Bolt into at least 3,500 theaters next weekend and the family friendly film clocks in half an hour shorter then Twilight which translates to even more showings per day.
And of course, we have the returning hits Quantum of Solace and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which will likely go strong for a few more weeks through the Thanksgiving holidays and beyond.
Friday November 21, 2008 Releases:
Wide
Bolt (3,500 theaters)
Twilight (3,200 theaters)
Limited
I Can’t Think Straight
Lake City
Special
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Not a good month for me financially, so no new movies unfortunately. I am looking forward to seeing the new Bond film but it will probably be on DVD at this point. At least I got to see a bootleg of the Star Trek trailer though. I'm not much of a trekker these days but I have to say (ridiculous opening scene aside) it looks pretty good. I saw Nimoy and Quinto in person at an event back in March and they both seemed pretty happy with the product so far. Keeping my fingers crossed JJ.