Royale is a smash at the box office
Lady Rose
London,UKPosts: 2,667MI6 Agent
Studio claims 007 box office coup
Casino Royale has smashed a Bond box office record, taking more in its first day of release than any previous 007 film, says Columbia Pictures.
The film, which features Daniel Craig's first outing as the super-spy, sold £1.7m of tickets in the UK on Thursday.
The figure is more than twice as much as the previous record-holder, 2002's Die Another Day, took in its first day.
Casino Royale has also been approved by China's censors, and will be the first 007 film to be screened in the country.
Authorities have previously disapproved of the violent and sexual content of the film franchise, reported film industry magazine Variety.
"We are extremely pleased that the film has passed and expect it to be one of the highest-grossing films next year in China," said Li Chow, Sony Pictures' general manager in the country.
The film is expected to hit China's cinemas in January 2007.
Casino Royale is the 21st Bond film, and early reviews have praised Craig's gritty and complex performance in the lead role.
The movie is an adaptation of Ian Fleming's first Bond novel and is one of the few without gadget-maker Q or much-loved secretary Miss Moneypenny.
It opens in 27 countries, including the US and Russia, this weekend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6157066.stm
Casino Royale has smashed a Bond box office record, taking more in its first day of release than any previous 007 film, says Columbia Pictures.
The film, which features Daniel Craig's first outing as the super-spy, sold £1.7m of tickets in the UK on Thursday.
The figure is more than twice as much as the previous record-holder, 2002's Die Another Day, took in its first day.
Casino Royale has also been approved by China's censors, and will be the first 007 film to be screened in the country.
Authorities have previously disapproved of the violent and sexual content of the film franchise, reported film industry magazine Variety.
"We are extremely pleased that the film has passed and expect it to be one of the highest-grossing films next year in China," said Li Chow, Sony Pictures' general manager in the country.
The film is expected to hit China's cinemas in January 2007.
Casino Royale is the 21st Bond film, and early reviews have praised Craig's gritty and complex performance in the lead role.
The movie is an adaptation of Ian Fleming's first Bond novel and is one of the few without gadget-maker Q or much-loved secretary Miss Moneypenny.
It opens in 27 countries, including the US and Russia, this weekend.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6157066.stm
Comments
I expect CR will have a big weekend here in the States. All the multi-plexes in Northern California appear to be showing it on multiple screens, so no one is expecting a dud.
They'll be adding my money to the till sometime this afternoon, when I sneak away from work for a look-see. I really can't wait.
CR = 3434
DAD = 3377
TWINE= 3163
TND= 2807
I think the record they were talking about was for the U.K. But frankly, if CR only made a fraction of DAD's money, CR would still be a better film. And if CR coming up short in the box office sweepstakes means Eon goes back to doing DADs, that would a be kind of a pyhrric victory for CR's detractors, IMO
No idea what the record is, but no Bond film has made more in one day in the UK.
I bet most of them will be going to see it, if they haven't already... probably in disguise, so they won't be recognized by each other!{[]
Judging by your maturity level, are you sure you're not one of them?
But u gotta take into account that it opened on a Thursday in the UK, which isn't a traditionally heavy viewing cinema day, as opposed to Fri, Sat and Sundays. This is when the bulk of the viewing and true weekend figures will occur.
They might be working in US Boycott, and not much in UK.
And, as someone here said, but in a different way, it doesn`t matter the box office, maybe in a few months CR fever will slow and be (as DAD) a Box Office hit but a canon or stylisho or whatever kind of failiure.
To this Day, In Colombia, i have no single idea in how many theatres will open (like this numbers add something) and the press, well, hasn`t talk a lot, but they all say that is different, and a good movie indeed...
EDIT: CnB did a bad move... why supporting a Tuxedo movie (happy feet) instead good movies (stranger than fiction) or uncommon ( Fast Food Nation)
So all the worst predictions are showing little sign of coming true. This, I think, is two million less than DAD but two more than TWINE at the same point in time.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
. . .But I've been wrong before. 8-)
The film is really not for a pre-teen audience IMO.
While not a round of applause at the end, the general tone of the audience was an interested "hubbub". We shall see over the coming weeks the effect of word-of-mouth.
That works both ways of course in that CR doesn't aim for the young market as perhaps DAD did (although its certificate wasn't that different I suppose). Plus CR has a longer running time which logically means less showings, therefore less tickets available. But then again, there are more people over 12 (CR's market) than there are under 12 (Happy Feet's market).
Personally I see no challenge from Happy Feet here- there's only one movie that's being talked about everywhere at the moment.
Just got back from my second look, as well; picked up a few things I missed the first time round, but I remain absolutely entranced by Craig's portrayal---and I keep coming back to the torture scene, wherein he completely assumes ownership of the character, IMO:
Bond laughs, and shakes his head, 'no.'
Pure gold :007)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Totally agree with you. My daughter is 9 and I wouldn't take her to see it. ( Apart from the violence she wouldn't understand it anyway
I think they were very lucky to have a 12a cert.
The one thing that has given me great pleasure, is that for a franchise that is apparently on its last legs and is constantly having its relevance challenged, it isn't doing too bad
My son is 11 and wants to go to it, but I told him that my wife and I had to see it first and use our discretion whether he could see it after we saw it. I let my wife decide whether it was appropriate for him because, since I'd be the one to take him to it (hey, a father has to sacrifice for their kids sometimes) I'd be a little biased in his favor, but she thought it was a little too mature for an 11 year old. Don't worry, I'll get over it.
Possibly, but the 12a rating is being stretched by Casino Royale. I think it's great that Eon are stretching it, but my nephews (8 and just 11) went to see it today - the 11 year old should like it, but some of the scenes are extreme (for a Bond/12a film).
Obviously parents and guardians must make the choice themselves - Mrs Marjil seems a sensible woman! Don't forget that by the DVD release, he should be older and wiser!
running up and down the stairs to go play in the hallway, and talking throughout the film, I had to shush a couple of the brats in front of me
parents will be taking their little ones to see it cuz they dont follow all the behind-the-scens stuff like we geeks do, never even heard of Ian Fleming, and assume a new Bond film will be a predictable installment of cartoony action sequences with lame jokes and doubleentendres thatll go over juniors head
I wish I could have shared a theatre with a couple of hundred serious Bondfans, much like those ubergeekish Seattle openings for Lord Of The Rings I remember so well, but thats what I get for moving out to farmcountry
It is certainly more realistically violent and bloody than other Bond films, but the context of being in an adventure story tends to mute it. Kids can and have seen far, far worse at the movies. I have. The murder of Sollozzo and the police captain by Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" still freaks me out because of the realism, although it's far from the bloodiest thing I've seen.
I think its really up to what your kid is like and what they have seen before. I was there today and there must have been at least 10 kids that were definitly too young to be there. one must have been about six, and I feel that is pointless, because firstly it would most likely freak them out, and secondly they wouldn't get the story.
9 through to 12 I think it varies depending of the child.