As countless villains have learned, there is just no stopping James Bond.
"Quantum of Solace," a tale of the secret agent's quest to avenge the death of the woman he loved, blasted out $70.4 million in ticket sales this weekend. It was the biggest opening for a Bond film ever and surpassed the high expectations set for the film.
Though Bond was clearly the irresistible force at ticket booths, it was a great all-around weekend for Hollywood as two very different comedies, the animated "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and raunchy "Role Models" stayed strong in their second weekend and came in second and third in box office grosses.
For all releases, the three-day sum is expected to total almost $143 million, according to box-office tracker Media by Numbers. That's up 54% from the same weekend last year and on pace with last week's robust gross.
"People are finding solace at the movies literally and figuratively," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media by Numbers. "We are in store for a very nice run here at the box office."
Next week, two more highly anticipated films arrive: Disney's 3-D animated "Bolt," about a dog and cat on a cross-country journey, and the teen vampire love story "Twilight."
But for now, the world belongs to Bond.
Sony and MGM's "Quantum of Solace," starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007, debuted overseas Oct. 31 and has earned more than $322 million since, Sony said. The action film premiered at No. 1 in each of the 73 territories where it has opened and, in most countries, outperformed its predecessor, "Casino Royale."
Opening overseas didn't hurt the movie's performance in the U.S., said Rory Bruer, president of domestic distribution for Sony Pictures. "By the time 'Quantum' was here, people where champing at the bit," he said. It has yet to open in other major markets including Japan, Australia and Spain.
The 22nd James Bond movie apparently appealed to grown-ups, some of whom may have seen "Dr. No" when it first played in 1962. Weekend exit polls in the U.S. showed 58% of the audience was over 25 and 46% was female.
Women have "definitely responded to Craig as Bond," Dergarabedian said. "He's a Bond women like and men relate to. That paid off."
Going into the weekend, Sony was hoping to reach $50 million in ticket sales to beat the previous highest opening for a Bond film, 2002's "Die Another Day," which rang up $47 million in Pierce Brosnan's last appearance as the legendary spy.
