James Bond’s latest adventure, “Spectre,” is already killing it at the box office after raking in $5.3 million from 3,221 locations on Thursday night.
Sony Pictures expects the fourth Bond movie starring Daniel Craig to climb toward $65 million in North America this weekend, which would place it behind the $88.3 million domestic debut of 2012’s “Skyfall.” However, its early shows grossed $4.6 million three years ago. The film, also directed by Sam Mendes, went on to gross $304.3 million domestically and becoming the highest grossing film in the franchise with $1.1 billion worldwide.
After taking in more than $80 million from the U.K. and six other countries in its record-breaking debut, “Spectre” will roll out in 66 more foreign markets this weekend.
The film’s budget was a whopping $300 million, more than any other of Craig’s films in the series.
“Spectre” has had a its share of hiccups on the way to the screen, from stolen scripts and reshoots to Craig’s voicing Bond fatigue. But the critics like it (62 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s ahead of “Skyfall” on Facebook (though behind it on Twitter), and advance tickets sales have been huge.
Christoph Waltz joins the cast as the baddie, a key element in most 007 films, along with Monica Belluci. The Bond girl this time is Lea Seydoux.
“The Peanuts Movie” is also opening this Friday, and although they are competing against 007, Charlie Brown and friends are expected to bring in $50 million this weekend for Twentieth Century Fox.
The 3D adaptation of the beloved comic strip by Charles M. Schulz had a budget of $100 million and is scoring well with critics, who say that the filmmakers successfully made the comic strip into a feature film while staying true to the original values of Schulz. It has a positive rating of 85 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
It is pacing ahead of “Hotel Transylvania 2” and “Goosebumps,” which opened to $48 million and $26 million, respectively.
This weekend also marks the opening of Bryan Cranston‘s “Trumbo,” Michael Keaton‘s “Spotlight” and Drew Barrymore‘s “Miss You Already.”
“Trumbo,” co-starring Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K. and Elle Fanning, is based on the true story of Dalton Trumbo, one of Hollywood’s top screenwriters until he and others were jailed and blacklisted after accused of being communists.
The biographical drama has a 68 percent approval rating from critics counted on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Miss You Already,” helmed by “Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke, follows the friendship between two life-long friends, which is put to the test when one starts a family and the other falls ill. It has a 67 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
After generating Oscar buzz at Toronto Film Festival, “Spotlight” is finally going wide this weekend. Starring Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Liev Schreiber, the film follows the true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up with the local Catholic Archdiocese.
The Open Road release has a stellar rating of 96 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.