Record Breaking Box Office Debut In UK

Qwerty

It's 'Casino Royale' all over again with the record breakng...

http://commanderbond.net/article/5733

SiCo

Also reported on BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7703999.stm

The new Bond film has broken box office records on its opening day in the UK taking £4.9m, says studio Sony.

Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig, smashed the previous record for a Friday opening of £4.025m, held by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

John Drake

Loeffelholz

So far...so good... -{

discovolante

With no serious competition, QOS should see a $50 million US opening weekend.

Loeffelholz

Here is MI6's rather bold, long-term worlwide projection for QoS at the box office:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/articles/bond_22_boxoffice.php3?t=qos&s=qos&id=02066

$625 million overall? Seems pretty optimistic; it's hard to say whether it will have the legs they're predicting. However, if QoS even gets close to the $594 million that CR drew---even if it ultimately falls a bit short---what an incredible coup for Eon, Craig and Forster.

Barbel

The opening figures may be high, but over the next few weeks it's down to word-of-mouth: CR had great word-of-mouth. This one, well...

Loeffelholz

Barbel wrote:

The opening figures may be high, but over the next few weeks it's down to word-of-mouth: CR had great word-of-mouth. This one, well...

From the Yank perspective...as long as enough things explode...! B-)

In all seriousness, the wild variance of reaction might not hurt the film. People who saw and liked Craig's CR (who might not necessarily be die-hard 'Bond fans') hopefully won't stay home simply because a friend didn't care for it. If the ratio continues to be equal parts pro and con...certainly this will weaken the film's legs somewhat over the holiday season.

I've been interested to read about multiple viewings from those who say they were disappointed ?:)

Plus the significantly shorter running time (leading to more showings per screen), and an absence of competition from Harry Potter, etc., work in Bond's favour.

If it gets to, say, $550 million, it's a big win.

Barbel

Loeffelholz wrote:

In all seriousness, the wild variance of reaction might not hurt the film. People who saw and liked Craig's CR (who might not necessarily be die-hard 'Bond fans') hopefully won't stay home simply because a friend didn't care for it. I've been interested to read about multiple viewings from those say they were disappointed ?:)

Plus the significantly shorter running time (leading to more showings per screen), and an absence of competition from Harry Potter and/or CGI penguins, etc., work in Bond's favour.

If it gets to, say, $550 million, it's a big win.

Good points about the running time and lack of competition; I hadn't thought about those, but still stand by my prediction that QoS won't beat CR moneywise. I do feel, though, that there'll be less of the "I just saw the new Bond film, it's great- you should go" factor this time. Bond films don't flop, although some do better than others.

Pud2002

I just hope it beats "High School Musical" worldwide because ive got a fiver bet on with the missus that it will.

jetsetwilly

Pud2002 wrote:

I just hope it beats "High School Musical" worldwide because ive got a fiver bet on with the missus that it will.

If it doesn't then I have no faith in humanity.

Loeffelholz

The opening weekend in the U.K., France and Sweden all set records:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=6962&t=mi6&s=news

$38.8 million from 2,123 screens...in three days, plus a few regional premieres :007)

The picture is set to open in 57 new markets this next weekend---and of course, the week after that ( X-( ), there might be a few people in America who will want to see it...

It will be interesting to gauge the dropoff at the U.K. box office by the time the U.S. is finally able to pick up the baton...

blueman

Post-election escapist/adventure flicks usually do pretty well, IIRC. QOS may get even better word-of-mouth than CR: all that action will get the gameboys wanting to see it a couple times at least IMO.

Didn't DAD do pretty well at the box office despite Bond fan word of mouth being on the low side? Don't know what mojo Babs and Mikey are working these days, but every Bond film since GE has done better biz then the one before it, if any producing team could claim to know what their audience wants (as opposed to what us Bond fans want, which by definition will always be split), it would be them.

After the take this weekend, I wouldn't bet against QOS.

Lady Rose

Pud2002 wrote:

I just hope it beats "High School Musical" worldwide because ive got a fiver bet on with the missus that it will.

No chance ... and thats coming from a devoted Bond fan but also a fan with young daughter ... maybe if we can get Zac Efron to play Bond .... )

john bond

my name is bond...john bond

as someone with more than a passing interest in the bond movies i was most disappointed in this movie.

i frequently expected jason bourne or goldfinger to come into the scenes.

the girl on the bed was too much like the girl painted in gold in goldfinger

the chase scenes were too much like the bourne movies !!!

there were no glamour scenes, the cars were old and bad.
the story line was all over the place and not tied up.

the movie has moved away from the core bond movies theme and we now have action man with no gadgets.

my kids came out not looking forward to the next one!!!

i'm sorry for the bad vibes but this one is a miss..

if its not broke dont fix it

Napoleon Plural

But like your modern-day namesake JB, you just go rushing in without thought or consideration to your actions! )

This is not the review thread! Welcome anyway, though I suspect that in view of your opinion, your stay will be "short-lived"!

HowardB

Although the reviews so far from the "hardcore" Bond fans in the UK and Europe are mixed very few have described QOS as just being a "bad" film. The fact that QOS appears to be 1hr and 45min of pretty violent action and stunning, realistic stunts bodes very well for the US box office and appealing to non-hardcore fans who could put the film over the top.

Loeffelholz

The Reviled QoS^TM opened in 58 new territories on Friday, 7th November...

http://commanderbond.net/article/5772

Looks like $38 million in box office on Friday.

When coupled with last weekend's relatively limited release (U.K., Sweden and France), this weekend's expected take of $80 million will bring the running total to about $130 million...about one-fifth the total worldwide gross of CR (I was a Journalism/Mass Communications major, not Math ;% ).

No word yet on the customary 2nd-week box office dropoff in the opening markets from 31st October, but the numbers should get somewhat larger when the film opens (finally X-( X-( X-( ) on a couple of screens in the United States of America and elsewhere...and then Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, et al., after that.

Loeffelholz

More news on the box office front for The Reviled QoS^TM...

http://commanderbond.net/article/5774

The ten-day cumulative total for the picture stands $160.3 million, without having played a single screen on the North American Continent.

Box office dropoff in the U.K. was 40%, for a ten-day cumulative total of $50.8 million. Dropoff in France and Sweden were 46% and 42%, respectively---viewed as "still strong." Matt Zucker, head of Sony's International Distribution division, says that QoS has far exceeded internal forecasts, demonstrating unexpectedly strong traction among teens.

HowardB

Interesting that QOS is bringing in more teens than expected. Maybe the younger generation are starting to see Daniel Craig as "their Bond". The less challenging 105 min running time and nonstop action may also have something to do with it lol. If QOS brings in the teens in the US, the film could be a monster hit...especially since teens will see something they like again which could contribute to giving the movie "legs" at the box office.

Loeffelholz

HowardB wrote:

Interesting that QOS is bringing in more teens than expected. Maybe the younger generation are starting to see Daniel Craig as "their Bond".

Irony. It's underrated B-)

blueman

Loeffelholz wrote:

HowardB wrote:

Interesting that QOS is bringing in more teens than expected. Maybe the younger generation are starting to see Daniel Craig as "their Bond".

Irony. It's underrated B-)

{[]

jetsetwilly

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/nov/10/2

The Guardian's take on the weekend's box office. A 40% drop over the two weekends, while CR had a 36% drop (though 25% drop on the weekend period).

Also interesting to note is that, with a 10 day total of $50 million, QoS is now the fifth biggest film of the year, and only two million behind number four (Sex and the City, for our sins).

Source: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/intl/uk/yearly/

Sweepy the Cat

$160M in just 10 days!!!
In a week's time this will probably double due to being released over in the States B-)

Loeffelholz

Yeah...it would be a nice bonus if Our Man could sneak past the CGI critters in Madagascar 2 to nab top spot! :v

Number One at the box office would be a nice feather in the cap for what appears to be CR's angry, misunderstood little brother

Sweepy the Cat

"Quantum of Solace" has a hard target to beat as the previous film, "Casino Royale", smashed James Bond box-office records and brought in $594m globally. Daniel Craig's second outing as 007 has some advantages though: it will face less competition at the box-office, the shorter run time will allow more showings at theatres, and its delayed release in the US positions the film over the lucrative holiday season. The Royal World Premiere was held in Leicester Square in London on Wednesday 29th October 2008. Over £500,000 was raised for the two charities selected by Princes William and Harry. 55 regional charity premieres were held across the UK the next day on Thursday 30th October. "Quantum of Solace" has made box office history on its opening day in the UK, taking a staggering £4.94m. The latest installment from the longest running franchise in film history, has also beaten the opening day figure for the last Bond movie, Casino Royale, which took £2.9 million on its opening day. The film made box-office history for a second time on the same weekend as it opened to an incredible £15.4 million at the UK box-office making it the biggest weekend opening of all time. This smashes the previous record held by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which took £14.93 million over the same period. Daniel Craig's second outing as 007 becomes the most successful opening of any Bond film ever as it has also beaten the opening weekend figure for the last Bond movie, Casino Royale, which took £11.4 million on its opening weekend.

Loeffelholz

More info on the QoS performance, pre-U.S. release: "'You know there has been a seismic shift in the global marketplace when a studio tentpole can ring up $200 million before its U.S. bow,' says the Hollywood Reporter."

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=7023&t=mi6&s=news

It seems increasingly unlikely (to me) that delaying the North American release of Quantum Of Solace was the result of Eon and Sony being afraid of having a turkey on their hands...it seems that the strategy detailed is working.

It's also p***ed me off no end ( X-( ). I hope they don't do it again...

A huge American opening seems certain. The question of 'legs,' as more competition hits the cinemas on 21st November, is very much open.

Number24

QoS opened last weekend in Norway. It had the best opening weekend in for any Bond movie here up north. It was also the fourth best opening of any movie ever in Norway.

Qwerty

Looks like 'Quantum' may end up doing more than $25 million in just its US opening day...

http://commanderbond.net/article/5805

Hardyboy

Indeed. According to BoxOfficeMojo, QoS grossed $27 million in the U.S. on Friday. Over on ComingSoon.net, the estimates are that the film will bring in $70-$73 million this weekend alone. But the big question remains. . .

Can Bond beat the jungle animals?

Loeffelholz

Looks like extremely mixed word of mouth from Bond fansites has done little to dampen enthusiasm for The Reviled QoS^TM...

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=7033&t=mi6&s=news

One of my favourite selections:

"In Italy, 'Solace' surpassed exhib expectations by scoring $3.9 million from 467 in a flat frame for an $8,270 per-screen average, considered killer in a land that has never been that fond of Bond" *

* Especially Daniel Craig's Bond, which has apparently induced rampant, spontaneous projectile vomiting by lovely Italian ladies everywhere Local health officials are reportedly seeking to ban all future Daniel Craig film releases as a result.