Skyfall Soars to Huge Box Office Win - Biggest James Bond Ever

 

Bond is back in a BIG way.

Skyfall, the 23rd movie in the James Bond franchise, is on pace to rule the box office this weekend with a staggering $88 million haul, giving it the biggest opening in the spy series’ long history.

The movie marks Daniel Craig’s third outing as Agent 007.

Last weekend’s top earner, the animated Wreck-It Ralph, should finish #2 with about $30 million, following by Denzel Washington’s airline pilot drama Flight ($13 million).

The thrillers Argo ($6 million) and Taken 2 ($4 million) are expected to come next, after which the chart becomes too close to call.

The Man with the Iron Fists
, Pitch Perfect, Cloud Atlas and Here Comes The Boom are all projected to hit approximately $2.4 million for the weekend.

Paranormal Activity 4
should wrap up the Top Ten with $2 million.

The latest James Bond film is also the biggest. "Skyfall," which marks 50 years of James Bond onscreen over the course of 23 films, grossed $30.8 million on Friday night, according to Sony, the largest debut day in the history of the franchise. "Quantum of Solace," the last Bond film, earned $27 million on its first Friday night in 2008; that film went on to gross $67.5 million during its opening weekend, a record for the series.

With an additional $2.2 million in IMAX sales from an exclusive run on Thursday night, "Skyfall" is already up to $33 million in North America. Per Deadline.com, the film could earn as much as $90 million over the three-day weekend , which would be a new Bond record. (Sony, the studio releasing "Skyfall" in North America, is more bearish on the totals, with an estimate of around $75-$80 million for the weekend; that result would also count as a record opening.)

Meanwhile, overseas, "Skyfall" continues impress: The film had earned $321 million internationally as of Wednesday , meaning its global tally could be over $500 million by the time Monday morning rolls around. That would put the Sam Mendes film on track to break the global record for Bond films held by "Casino Royale,"Which earned $594 million in 2006 . . ("Quantum of Solace" earned $586 million around the world.)