Spectre shatters BO records worldwide

LONDON: Filmmaker Sam Mendes’s 24th James Bond film Spectre is shattering box office records in nearly every market it has been released, led by a historic performance in Britain. The film marks the return of British actor Daniel Craig as the famous spy.

Spectre, which has released in six territories so far, has raked in $80.4 million till now, Albert R Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment have announced.

In Britain, where Spectre released on October 26, the film has minted an estimated £41.7 million in its first seven days of release, securing new records for the biggest opening of all time in Britain box office history by overtaking last James Bond film, Skyfall.

The film opened in 647 cinemas and on 2,500 screens, making it the widest release of all time in Britain. However, Britain wasn’t alone in shattering box office records as nearly every releasing market saw Spectre make history as the biggest box office opening of all time. It was released in Netherlands, Nordic region, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, too.

“We’re so grateful to all our James Bond fans and the British public for making Spectre debut in the Britain box office history,” producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a joint statement.

MGM chairman and CEO Gary Barber said that it’s “an incredible thrill” to see how James Bond continues to deliver such excitement to his fans.