Big numbers at the box-office this weekend thanks to “Quantum of Solace,” the second film in the latest James Bond reboot that had mixed reactions by critics, but audiences went to see the film in droves.
The film opened up with a gigantic $70 million dollar weekend, making for the highest debut of any 007 in the franchise’s history. Apparently them audiences like themselves some Daniel Craig, an admittedly terrific new British secret agent, but we thought this new Bond film was rather generic and tedious. But the numbers are impressive. The film has already grossed $251.6 million worldwide and ‘Solace’s opening weekend is almost $30 million more than its predecessor “Casino Royale.”
The animated Dreamworks film “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” surpassed the $100 million mark in only its second weekend raking in an impressive $36.1 million and indie comedy director David Wain continued to smash his modest records. His highest grossing feature to date, “The Ten,” took in a worldwide cume of $785,528, not even a million. Perhaps its a testament to the studio system, but Wain’s vulgar n’ sensitive comedy, “Role Models,” has already grossed almost $40 million ($38.1 total). It’s probably fair to say this is a pretty big hit for Wain.
The big winner in the indie market was Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire,” it grossed $350,434 from just 10 theaters in six markets which makes for a staggering $35,043 million per screen average t for one of the year’s top theater averages to date.
The rest of the weekend wasn’t very notable, ‘High School Musical 3’ has grossed $84 million so far and Kevin Smith’s ‘Zack and Miri’ has collected $26 million so far. This upcoming weekend, the big showdown will be between the vampire-emo tween film, “Twilight,” and Disney’s animated film, “Bolt,” and don’t laugh, animation has been doing gangbusters this year, the tweens might have their work cut out for them. Nothing else appears to be opening that can compete with either.
1. “Quantum of Solace,” $70.4 million.
2. “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” $36.1 million.
3. “Role Models,” $11.7 million.
4. “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” $5.9 million.
5. “Changeling,” $4.2 million.
6. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno,” $3.2 million.
7. “Soul Men,” $2.43 million.
8. “The Secret Life of Bees,” $2.4 million.
9. “Saw V,” $1.8 million.
10. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley,” $1.6 million.
