'Casino Royale' US Cable Premiere Scheduled For 5 June

Daniel Craig’s debut James Bond film, Casino Royale, is scheduled to make its US cable premiere this June on the USA Network.

As reported by CommanderBond.net back in late 2006, the network won the rights to the 21st 007 film following a heated bidding war with Spike TV, TNT and FX. The premium cable premiere took place in early 2008 on Showtime.

Casino Royale will air on Friday, 5 June at 8:00pm EST. Bond fans will also be able to catch it at 8:00pm and 6:00pm, respectively, on the following Saturday and Sunday.

For further details, visit the official USA Network website.

Stay tuned to the CBn main page for all the latest 007-related news.

'Quantum of Solace' Debuts On DIRECTV On Demand

To mark the home video debut of Quantum of Solace, DIRECTV, will be presenting the film in 1080p and treat customers to a ‘007 Collection’ of seven other classic James Bond films on their video on demand service.

The full press release follows:

DIRECTV Shakes Up The New James Bond Release Quantum Of Solace with a Stirring Collection of James Bond Classics On Demand

To celebrate the arrival of the latest James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, DIRECTV, the nation’s No. 1 satellite television service, will present the film in 1080p and treat customers to the “007 Collection,” an instant James Bond Film festival available on DIRECTV’s video on demand service.

Quantum of Solace, one of the top ten movies of 2008, will be instantly available in standard definition and HD on DIRECTV Pay Per View and in 1080p (the highest HD resolution format available for HD video enthusiasts) through DIRECTV on Demand beginning today.

As a special treat for those who want more time to bond with Bond, seven classic films: Casino Royale (precursor to Quantum of Solace), Diamonds Are Forever, Die Another Day, Dr. No, From Russia With Love, GoldenEye and Goldfinger will be available on demand in HD and standard definition through May 7.

Quantum of Solace, the 22nd film in the Bond franchise, follows the eponymous spy who, having been betrayed by the woman he loved, fights the urge to make his latest mission personal.

The DIRECTV on DEMAND service is available to customers with a DIRECTV Plus® HD DVR or R22 DVR receiver, and offers more than 7,000 standard-definition and HD titles, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. The service allows customers to download the programming of their choice from the DIRECTV on DEMAND library to their DVRs to enjoy whenever they want. The service offers one of the easiest-to-use on demand interfaces on television, with unique features that make navigating through titles simple and quick.

About DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc. (NASDAQ:DTV), the nation’s No. 1 satellite television service, presents the finest television experience available to more than 17.6 million customers in the United States and is leading the HD revolution with more than 130 HD channels – more quality HD channels than any other television provider. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 265 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed all national cable companies for eight years running) and superior technologies that include advanced DVR and HD-DVR services and the most state-of-the-art interactive sports packages available anywhere. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please call 1-800-DIRECTV or visit directv.com.

Quantum of Solace Blu-ray/DVD Overview
Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage
Latest news, cover artwork, ordering details, worldwide release dates, special features, original announcements, exclusives and promotional deals and more.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for continued Quantum of Solace on Blu-ray/DVD coverage.

Olga Kurylenko Makes FHM's Top 100 Sexiest Women List

Earlier this month, CommanderBond.net had reported that Quantum of Solace Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton had been nominated in this year’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World competition at FHM Magazine.

After nearly ten million votes being cast, the top 100 have been revealed and we’re pleased to report that Kurylenko made the list at a respectable #22.

Currently, the top ten can be viewed online at the FHM website. They include:

1. Cheryl Cole (last year 7)
2. Megan Fox (1)
3. Jessica Alba (2)
4. Britney Spears (31)
5. Keeley Hazell (3)
6. Adriana Lima (21)
7. Elisha Cuthbert (4)
8. Kristin Kreuk (48)
9. Anna Friel (re-entry)
10. Freida Pinto (new entry)

Click here for the related press release.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

'Quantum of Solace' Score Nominated For Ivor Novello Award

Nominations for the 54th Ivor Novello Awards were announced earlier today and David Arnold’s score for Quantum of Solace is included in the Best Original Film Score category.

Arnold’s score for the 22nd James Bond film will compete against composers Benjamin Wallfisch for The Escapist and Jonny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood.

The Ivor Novello Awards honour excellence in music writing. The 54th ceremony is staged by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (BASCA) in association with PRS for Music and will take place at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on Thursday, 21 May 2009.

For the full list of nominees, visit the official website.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

'From Russia with Love' On The Big Screen

As reported on CommanderBond.net this past February, the 1963 classic James Bond film From Russia with Love has been digitally restored and will be screened in select UK cinemas throughout April and May.

Thanks to Park Circus Films, we can now provide details on where and when 007 fans can catch Sean Connery’s second Bond adventure on the big screen.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Classic James Bond Film
Digitally Restored and Back in Cinemas

BFI Southbank – 24 April to 7 May
Filmhouse Edinburgh – 27 to 30 April

and

“One Day Only” – Tuesday 5 May
Exclusively at the following Cineworld Cinemas

Aberdeen • Ashford • Ashton-Under-Lyne • Bedford • Bexleyheath • Birmingham Broad Street • Boldon Tyne & Wear • Bolton • Bradford • Braintree • Brighton • Burton On Trent • Bury St Edmunds • Cambridge • Cardiff • Castleford • Cheltenham • Chesterfield • Chichester • Crawley • Didcot • Didsbury • Dublin • Dundee • Eastbourne • Edinburgh • Enfield • Falkirk • Feltham • Fulham Road • Glasgow Renfrew Street • Gloucester • Harlow • High Wycombe • Hull • Huntingdon • Ilford • Ipswich • Isle of Wight • Liverpool • Llandudno • Luton • Middlesbrough • Milton Keynes • Newport • Northampton • Nottingham • Rochester • Rugby Runcorn • Shaftesbury Avenue • Sheffield • Shrewsbury • Solihull • St Helens • Staples Corner • Stevenage • Wakefield • Wandsworth • West India Quay • Weymouth • Wolverhampton • Wood Green • Yeovil

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

'Casino Royale' (1967) Now Streaming On YouTube

Numerous full-length Hollywood films are now available to view at YouTube and James Bond is included among the first set of titles.

According to the BBC News, a new deal struck between the popular video website YouTube and Sony Pictures has seen the addition of several popular films to the site, including the 1967 James Bond spoof Casino Royale.

Deals have also been struck with the likes of MGM, Lions Gate, Discovery Communications and National Geographic.

‘We look forward to expanding to other regions as soon as possible,’ wrote Shiva Rajamaran on the company’s blog. The service is currently limited to the US as rights issues mean that international availability are decided by TV and film companies, rather than YouTube, on a case-by-case basis.

Users can visit youtube.com/movies and youtube.com/shows to find professional content, instead of having to search for specific films.

For a direct link to watch Casino Royale online, click here.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest 007-related news.

Michael G. Wilson Talks 'Bond 23', His Favourites And More

007 producer Michael G. Wilson recently sat down with the Yorkshire Post to discuss working on the James Bond series, including his personal favourites among other things.

‘Being producer of James Bond is as good as it seems,’ Wilson said in the video interview. ‘In fact it’s better.’

‘There are a lot of other characters like Tarzan, Superman and Batman who have been reinvented over the years, but in terms of a single production entity then yes I guess James Bond is unique. But you know, there has never been a moment when we’ve sat back and thought that’s it, this will run and run. I don’t even believe that now.’

The rather hostile reception to Daniel Craig being announced as the sixth James Bond in October 2005 only cemented the fact that both Bond fans and the general public take a great deal of interest in who will be portraying the British secret agent.

Wilson said: ‘Every time we recast Bond the character ends up being reinvented. It comes with the territory. They are all leading men who are appropriate to a specific time and place and their interpretation inevitably takes the film in a different direction.’

‘He silenced the critics with his performance and now many think he’s one of the best, if not the best Bond ever.’ – Michael G. Wilson on Daniel Craig as 007

‘Roger Moore was certainly a change from Sean Connery,’ he continued, ‘and Timothy Dalton was a departure from Roger. There was a sense when we cast Pierce Brosnan that we were going back to the original vision and not everyone was happy about that.’

‘He may be a fictious character, but 007 has become a matter of public property and the public doesn’t like people messing with their vision of what Bond should be. I sympathise with them. They are our public and we don’t want to let them down.’

‘With Daniel he was pretty much an unknown in the role and I think people couldn’t visualise how he was going to play it. He silenced the critics with his performance and now many think he’s one of the best, if not the best Bond ever.’

Besides the casting issues, Wilson also brought up the point that a strong script is essential in moving forward to making a successful Bond film. After sharing the screenplay credit on five Bond films from 1981’s For Your Eyes Only through 1989’s Licence to Kill, Wilson then concentrated primarily on his producer duties for the following films, starting with 1995’s GoldenEye.

‘At the moment the third Daniel Craig movie is not even a glimmer in its mother’s eye…’ – On Bond 23

‘You can only write for so long and I knew my time would probably be better spent on other things,’ he said. ‘It’s just about impossible to find someone who can take on a whole script individually so instead we have a team of writers which Barbara [Broccoli] and I supervise.’

While he admitted he doesn’t have a favourite amongst the actors who’ve taken on the Bond role over the years, Wilson did admit that he did have his preferences when choosing between their various films.

‘In From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, Sean really established the whole spy genre. George Lazenby may have only done one film, but On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was one of the best Fleming stories. The Spy Who Loved Me with Roger was the first one I really worked full-time on and I think it showed him at his best. Then there’s The Living Daylights for Timothy and GoldenEye was Pierce’s best. Daniel has yet to complete his time as Bond, but at the moment Casino Royale is my favourite of his so far.’

As for what lies ahead for the series, Wilson reaffirmed his previous statements that it may be a while until Bond 23 hits theatres.

‘At the moment the third Daniel Craig movie is not even a glimmer in its mother’s eye,’ he said. ‘Filming Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace back to back took a lot out of time and energy so at the moment we are all just recharging our batteries.’

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest breaking news on Bond 23.

Dame Judi Dench To Be Inducted Into Actors Hall of Fame

Dame Judi Dench has been chosen as one of this year’s inductees to the Actors Hall of Fame.

According to the Hollywood Repoter, Dame Judi, along with 14 other actors, were announced as the newest honorees today.

The full list of honorees includes: Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Kirk Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Olivia de Havilland, Hal Holbrook, Anthony Hopkins, James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, William H. Macy and Maggie Smith.

The Actors Hall of Fame honours career achievement in theater, film and television. Criteria for nomination include peer recognition and awards, humanitarian contribution to the dramatic arts and education and a demonstrated advancement of the craft of acting.

Honorees are voted for by members of the Actors Hall of Fame’s board of electors, who are dramatic arts educators representing more than 100 accredited colleges and universities.

An induction ceremony and celebration for this newest group of honorees will take place later this year in Los Angeles, California.

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

'Quantum of Solace' – Box Office Details

CommanderBond.net collects together all the latest box office news and figures for the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace.

Daniel Craig’s second 007 film follows on from 2006’s Casino Royale, which was an unstoppable success at the worldwide box office with an overall take of $594 million.

Specific reports follow below the box office numbers and are broken down into four categories: UK / US / International / Estimates.

Article originally posted: 2 November 2008
Final Update: 12 April 2009 (Updated Weekly)

QUANTUM OF SOLACE – BOX OFFICE DETAILS

Scroll down for detailed UK / US / International weekly reports.

Main Totals

Main Totals: Weekend-By-Weekend

Opening Day

Opening Weekends

¹Central Africa – (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Paragua)
²East Africa – (Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda)
³France – (and Algeria, Monaco, Morocco and Tunisia)
⁴Lesser Antilles – (Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, and St. Lucia, St. Vincent)

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UK – Detailed Reports

WEEK 1: Record-breaking was the name of the game when it came to the box office debut of Quantum of Solace in the UK. After a glamorous world premiere at the Odeon Cinema in London’s Leicester Square on Wednesday, 29 October, regional screenings then followed on Thursday (30th). The film went on general release on Friday the 31st and debuted with $8 million (£4.94 million)–surpassing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to become the biggest Friday opening of all time in the UK.

The final weekend total for the film (after opening on 1,150 screens) stood at $25.3 million (£15.7 million), making Quantum of Solace the biggest three-day opening ever in the UK.

In comparison, Casino Royale had a UK opening day and weekend total of, respectively, £1.7 million and £13.49 million.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said, ‘We are absolutely delighted that Quantum of Solace has broken box office records in the UK and would like to thank the British public for going to the cinema in such incredible numbers to see James Bond in his 22nd adventure.’

WEEK 2: The second weekend of release saw Quantum of Solace expanding to 61 markets in total around the world and once again the UK was the top earner box office-wise.

Bookers were keenly watching this second weekend of business, with early estimates hoping for a drop-off of no more than 50%. The Bond film surpassed expectations yet again, taking in a stunning $15.1 million (£9.6 million), declining just 40%. The cumulative total stands at an impressive $50 million (£32 million).

WEEK 3: Quantum of Solace played in 67 markets around the world during its third weekend and yet again, the UK was the biggest holdover. The film pulled in $8.6 million (a 41% drop from the previous weekend) from 1,218 screens, bringing the cumulative total up to $64.1 million.

WEEK 4: For the fourth straight frame, Quantum of Solace remained strong at the UK box office, pulling in $4.4 million over the weekend (down 44% from the previous frame. To date, the film has taken in more than $71 million.

WEEK 5: Quantum of Solace came in second place overall during its fifth weekend in the UK. Falling 47% to $2.4 million, the film’s cumulative total stands at a strong $75.5 million. Holiday opener Four Christmases came in first with $3.5 million.

WEEK 6: The competition continued during the sixth weekend of UK business for Quantum of Solace. The film grossed about $2 million, bringing its cumulative total to $77.4 million.

WEEK 7: In its seventh weekend in the UK, Quantum of Solace brought its cumulative total up to an $78.1 million.

WEEK 8: The UK cumulative total for Quantum of Solace grew to $78.8 million in the eighth week.

WEEK 9: The UK cumulative total for Quantum of Solace grew to an estimated $79.1 million (roughly £54.6 million) in the nineth week.

WEEK 10: During the 10th week of box office business, the UK cumulative total for Quantum of Solace grew to $79.9 million.

WEEK 11: Quantum of Solace helped make 2008 a record year for box office returns in the UK with a year-end £51 million total (ranking second overall–Mamma Mia! grabbed first with £69 million). As of the 11th weekend, it’s cumulative total stands just over the $80 million mark.

WEEK 12: The Quantum of Solace total in the UK grew to $80.2 million.

WEEK 13: The cumulative UK total for Quantum of Solace is $80.2 million.

WEEK 14: The cumulative UK total for Quantum of Solace remains at the $80.2 million mark.

WEEK 15: The cumulative UK total for Quantum of Solace remains at the $80.2 million mark.

WEEK 16: The cumulative UK total for Quantum of Solace remains at the $80.2 million mark.

WEEK 17: The cumulative UK total for Quantum of Solace is $80.2 million.

WEEK 18 – FINAL: The final overall total for Quantum of Solace in the UK: $80,805,643.

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US – Detailed Reports

WEEK 1: James Bond made his debut in the United States and what a debut it was. Soaring past expectations and previous records, Quantum of Solace grossed an absolutely phenomenal $67.5 million opening weekend. This total put Quantum of Solace above and beyond the previous number one opening weekend record-holder in the series, 2002’s Die Another Day (which debuted with $47.1 million) as well as the $40.8 million debut for Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale two years ago.

Industry expectations had pegged a US debut between $50-60 million for the Bond film, but Quantum‘s $27 million take on Friday alone was a sign that 007 was aiming much higher at the box office.

Unlike the incredibly close competition between Royale and those nagging penguins two years ago, Quantum of Solace ruled alone this weekend. The closest competitor was Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which took in $36.1 million in its second weekend of release.

Opening weekend audience was comprised of 54% males, with 58% of patrons age 25 and older.

WEEK 2: The competition came on strong during the second weekend for Quantum of Solace. While the vampire romance Twilight easily walked away in first place with a $69.6 million weekend, James Bond managed to cling onto the #2 spot with $26.7 million (just beating Disney’s Bolt, which debuted with $26.2 million).

Despite dropping 60% from the film’s stunning $67.5 million debut, this second weekend of business saw Quantum of Solace surpass the $100 million barrier faster than any other film in the 007 series. The cumulative total stood at $108.7 million at the end of the weekend.

‘We’re in great shape. We’re way ahead of where we were with Casino Royale,’ Sony domestic distribution president Rory Bruer said at the time.

WEEK 3: Many newer competitors battled against James Bond for the US box office during Quantum‘s third weekend of release. Overall, the 007 film came in fourth place with a respectable $19.5 million take (down 27% from the previous frame). The film took in $8.2 million alone on Friday, up 80% from Thanksgiving Day and down just 3% from the same day last week.

Beating the Bond film, which expanded to 3,501 theatres in total earlier in the week, was new release Four Christmases and Twilight and Bolt in second and third, respectively.

WEEK 4: The competition remained strong at the box office for the fourth US weekend. Quantum of Solace fell one spot to rank fifth overall, pulling in $6.6 million over the weekend. Its cumulative total stands at $151.6 millon, which Reuters pointed out was about $12 million ahead (inflation unadjusted) of where Casino Royale was at the same point in its run in 2006.

WEEK 5: In its fifth weekend at the US box office, Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film finished sixth place overall (a drop of one spot from last week), falling 43% to $3.7 million. The film’s theatre count was heavily slashed by 788 screens from last weekend to 2,635.

Quantum‘s cumulative total stands at $157.6 million in the US, getting closer each day to the franchise record of $167.5 million, held by 2006’s Casino Royale.

WEEK 6: Quantum of Solace grossed an estimated $2.2 million over its sixth US weekend, down 42% from the previous session and ranking 10th overall. The theatre count also dropped by 761 screens, leaving the total at 1,874. The film’s cumulative total stands at $161.2 million.

With this latest weekend gross, the 22nd James Bond film surpassed (inflation not adjusted) the US total for Die Another Day, which brought in $160.9 million overall.

WEEK 7: Quantum of Solace pulled in $1.45 million in its seventh US weekend, down 29% from last weekend and finally fell out of the top ten overall (007 ranked 18th this time around). Theatre counts also took a hit, falling 983 to 891 locations total.

The film’s cumulative total in the US stands at $164.3 million, closer and closer to the $167.4 million record set by Casino Royale two years ago.

WEEK 8: An additional $1.1 million was grossed over the film’s eighth weekend in the US, with theatre counts remaining the same at 891 in total. This gross represented a drop of 19% from the previous weekend, with Quantum of Solace ranking 20th overall.

The cumulative total in the US stands at $166.9 million, meaning that the Casino Royale record of $167.4 million will likely be broken quite soon.

WEEK 9: This latest week of business finally saw Quantum of Solace surpass the previous $167.4 million record held by Casino Royale to become the highest grossing James Bond film in the United States (note that the official press release lists $167.1 million as the final Royale gross).

Theatre counts dropped once more, leaving Quantum playing in 357 locations. It’s cumulative gross stands at $167.5 million.

WEEK 10: Theatre counts for Quantum of Solace dropped once again, but this time only by 28 theatres, leaving 007 playing at 329 locations. Ranked 30th overall in its tenth weekend of business, the film grossed $395,678 to bring its cumulative total up to $168 million.

WEEK 11: Ranking 31st overall over the weekend, Quantum of Solace grossed $225,000 to bring it’s cumulative total to $168.3 million. Theatre counts fell once again (this time by 57), leaving the 22nd James Bond film playing on 272 screens.

WEEK 12 – FINAL: The final US gross for Quantum of Solace: $168,368,427.

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International – Detailed Reports

WEEK 1: Quantum of Solace only opened in two territories besides the UK during its first weekend of release, France and Sweden. The film smashed the 007 series’ records in both countries, taking in $10.6 million total from 824 sites in France and $2.7 million from 149 sites in Sweden.

Combined with the UK opening weekend numbers, the overall first weekend total for the film stands at an impressive $38.6 million, earning it the #1 spot at the box office.

WEEK 2: If the first weekend of box office business offered a preview of the success Quantum of Solace promised at its international markets, then the second weekend was when 007 truly delivered. The film went on general release in an additional 58 territories and managed the stunning achievement of opening better than Casino Royale in every single one of them. To further emphasize this, 13 of these opens actually did double what Royale did two years ago.

Counting all 61 territories, the film took in a whopping $106.5 million at 9,870 playdates, making it the 11th biggest international weekend ever. This take also propelled Quantum to the #2 spot of largest international weekends of 2008, behind behind the $146.6 debut of Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

The film grossed more than triple the combined foreign take for the next four entries on the list: High School Musical 3, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Body of Lies, and Saw V.

The average gross per location was a strong $10,790. Germany was the best new opening overall for the film, with a weekend gross of $14.8 million.

The record breaking continued as well with Bond posting the top opening ever in Switzerland at $3.8 million, Finland at $1.7 million and the United Arab Emirates at $1 million along with Nigeria, Romania and Slovenia. The film also managed the second best ever in both China and India for an international film with its $9.1 million and $3.7 million deubuts, respectively.

007 held strong for its second weekend in France and Sweden as well, declining 46% to $5.7 million and 42% to $1.4 million in the latter.

WEEK 3: Quantum of Solace remained the number one film internationally for the third straight weekend, earning $56.1 million from 10,460 screens in 67 markets.

Despite a near 50% drop-off from last weekend’s astronomical performance, Quantum of Solace opened or remained in the number one spot in 61 of the 67 markets it played in, bringing its cumulative international total up to $251.6 million.

New locations for the film included Mexico and Hungary, where–unsurprisingly–Bond rewrote the series’ record books. Quantum of Solace took in $2.4 million from 505 screens in the former and $430,000 from 34 sites (equalling a strong per-screen average of $12,647) in the latter.

Besides the strong holdover sales in the UK, Germany proved to be a winning location for the film yet again with weekend sals of $8.3 million (down 37% from last week) from 1,120 sites for a cumulative total of $26.4 million. The Bond film held strong in several other markets, including Switzerland, down just 20% to $2.4 million, South Korea down 39% to $2.1 million, Holland down 30% to $1.6 million and Brazil down 36% to $1.4 million.

In China, Quantum fell 41% to $4 million, 62% in Russia to $3.6 million and 52% in France to $3 million (it’s cumulative total in this country after three strong weekends stands at $26.7 million).

After just two to three weekends in release, depending on the market location, Quantum already managed to surpass the final market totals of Casino Royale in the following locations: France, China, Korea, Russia, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Indonesia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

WEEK 4: Quantum of Solace ruled the international box office for the fourth straight weekend in a row, pulling in $40.6 million at 10,400 playdates in 72 markets.

With a cumulative international total a little over $308 million, Quantum landed in the sixth highest spot for 2008 and 56th on the all-time list.

The biggest opening this weekend went to Austrailia, where the film debuted with $7.9 million–44% higher than Casino Royale‘s debut. Spain was another new market and Quantum of Solace managed to take in $5.1 milion–surpassing the previous Royale record by 36%.

In Germany, Bond fell 47% to $4.3 million for a $32.3 million total and in France, fell 45% to $1.7 million for a $28.8 million total. The film dropped 63% to $1.3 million in China, while South Korea declined 47% to $1.1 million and Switzerland fell 49% to $1 million. With a cumulative total of $8.1 million in Switzerland, Quantum of Solace became the highest-grossing film this year in that market.

WEEK 5: Yet again, Quantum of Solace proved that James Bond is indeed a worldwide icon by winning its fifth consecutive international box office. The film took in $20.1 million at 8,755 playdates in 73 markets, joining Mamma Mia! (which starred former 007 Pierce Brosnan) as the only two films of the year to win five international weekends.

The box office victory for Bond was easy once again, despite a 50% drop due to new competition and only one new debut around the world (a 27 November opening in New Zealand). To date, the 22nd Bond entry has grossed $340.5 million internationally (not counting the US numbers).

In its second Australian frame, Quantum of Solace slid 64% to $2.8 million, taking silver medal thanks to the solid $5 million launch of Baz Luhrmann’s aptly-titled Australia.

Other notable numbers for 007 included a $2.3 million take in its fourth German frame for a cumulative total of $35.3 million and $2.1 million in its second Spanish weekend.

WEEK 6: After five straight weekends of being number one, Quantum of Solace finally fell to second place internationally after Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa rolled out around the world to great success.

007 grossed a solid $10.8 million from 6,350 screens in 72 markets, bringing its international cumulative total to $357.7 million. This total, combined with the the US gross during the same weekend, pushed the worldwide box office total for Quantum of Solace over the $500 million mark–the 61st film overall to hit the milestone.

The sole new opening for Quantum was in Venezuela, where it brought in $415,000 from 75 screens, hailed by Sony as 98% bigger than the comparable bow for Casino Royale. Notable market grosses to date included $30.8 million in France and $37.1 million in Germany.

WEEK 7: Internationally, Quantum of Solace came in third place overall, behind The Day the Earth Stood Still and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

The James Bond film continued to play strong at 4,200 screens in 70 markets, where it grossed $5.2 million, bringing its international total to roughly $367 million. The sole new opening was in the Dominican Republic, with a weekend gross of $70,262.

WEEK 8: Internationally, Quantum of Solace pulled in $2.2 million over the weekend from 2,730 screens in 68 markets, falling out of the top five internationally for the first time. Theatre counts for the film were heavily slashed after last weekend, when it grossed $5.2 million from 4,200 screens.

This was also the first weekend without a single new opening for the Bond film around the world. It’s cumulative international stands at $372.7 million.

WEEK 9: As was the case for the previous weekend, Quantum of Solace again grossed $2.2 million internationally–this time from 2,225 screens in 61 markets (down from the 2,730 a week ago). The film’s international total stands at an estimated $374.9 million.

The Bond film’s single new opening was in Uruguay, leaving Japan now as the final territory left for Quantum to debut in.

WEEK 10: The international total for Quantum of Solace stands at roughly the $382 million mark. Following up last weekend’s opening in Uruguay, the final territory left for the film is Japan on 24 January.

WEEK 11: Quantum of Solace ended up as the top box officer earner of 2008 in Germany and fourth overall in Australia. To date, the cumulative international total stands just shy of $384 million.

WEEK 12: The cumulative Quantum of Solace international total stands at $384.3 million, with the film’s Japan opening taking place this upcoming Friday (23 January).

WEEK 13: The international box office for Quantum of Solace got a boost this weekend thanks to an opening in Japan, the final territory for the 22nd James Bond film. The film grossed $6.4 million there over the weekend, soaring past the previous opening record of $3.2 million held by 2006’s Casino Royale. The cumulative international total stands at $391.5 million.

WEEK 14: The international box office for 007 grew an additional $7 million, the overwhelming majority of it coming from Japan, where Quantum of Solace entered into its second weekend of business. This boost in business brought the international total (non-US) for the film to just under the $400 million mark cumulatively.

WEEK 15: The fifthteenth weekend of business saw Quantum of Solace surpass the $400 million mark thanks to an additional $3.3 million in box office business, the majority of it coming from Japan.

WEEK 16: An additional $2.5 million was added to the international box office total for Quantum of Solace, once again the overwhelming majority of this coming from the film’s mid-January opening in Japan.

WEEK 17: Roughly $1.5 million was added to the international box office total for Quantum of Solace, bringing the film’s total (not counting US) up to $405.5 million.

WEEK 18: Japan contributed almost all of the roughly $1 million that was added to Quantum‘s international box office over the weekend.

WEEK 19: About half a million dollars was added to the international total to bring it up to a cumulative $407 million.

WEEK 20: The international total for Quantum of Solace grew to roughly $407.5 million.

WEEK 21: The international total for Quantum of Solace remains around the $407 million mark.

WEEK 22: Japan added in a limited amount of box office business with the cumulative international total for Quantum of Solace at the $407 million mark.

WEEK 23 – FINAL: More (limited) box office business from Japan and updated figures brought the cumulative international total for Quantum of Solace to the $417 million mark.

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Estimates

• Estimate #1: Bookers predict a UK opening weekend of $21 million (£13 million).
• Reality: Quantum of Solace exceeds expectatons, grossing a record-breaking $25.3 million (£15.7 million).

• Estimate #2: Mark Zucker, Sony’s president of international distribution, predicts Quantum of Solace will gross roughly $80 million internationally during its second weekend of release (entering 58 new markets).
• Reality: Quantum of Solace exceeds expectatons, taking in $106.5 million.

• Estimate #3: Industry experts predict a US opening weekend gross of $50 million+, with the possibility of hitting $60 million not ruled out.
• Reality: Quantum of Solace exceeds expectatons and breaks records, taking in $67.5 million.

• Estimate #4: Industry experts predict Quantum of Solace will surpass Casino Royale‘s final US gross of $167.5 million to become the biggest Bond film at the box office.
• Reality: Quantum of Solace proves this estimate to be true, becoming the highest grossing James Bond film in the US on 8 January 2009.

• Estimate #5: Industry experts predict Quantum of Solace will surpass Casino Royale‘s final international (not counting US) gross of $426.7 million to become the biggest Bond film at the box office.
• Reality: Not met.

• Estimate #6: Industry experts predict Quantum of Solace will surpass Casino Royale‘s worldwide grand total ($594.2 million) to become the highest grossing James Bond film ever.
• Reality: Not met.

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Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net for all the latest Quantum of Solace news and information.

Barbara Broccoli And Michael G. Wilson Talk Bond And Beyond

With the centenary celebrations of Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli currently taking place at BFI Southbank, The Guardian recently had a chance to sit down and talk with current James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Meeting them at Eon House in Piccadilly, London, Jason Solomons started off the conversation discussing the legacy their father has created through his work on the 007 series.

‘Oh, definitely,’ said Barbara Broccoli. ‘I mean, Cubby Broccoli, my father, was an extraordinary man and he assembled with Dr. No the most astounding group of talent with directors and craftsmen and created with his partner Harry Saltzman a new genre of films.’

When asked how Broccoli, as a producer, left his creative stamp on the series, Wilson said: ‘Well, he was a creative producer. And there are a few, but sadly not as many today as there used to be. He was someone who was very involved in the creation of the script and the selecting of the major crew, you know, the director and the major heads of department.’

‘He would like to sit on the set and be there in case anything needed his attention. He just loved making films. It was his life.’

Barbara added: ‘I think we think about [Cubby] all the time, both consciously or subconsciously. Often when we’re in a bit of a pickle, we’ll sit and think–or I’ll sit and think–“what would dad do?”, and then you go “oh, that’s what he’d do, so that’s what we’re going to do”. He always believed that you had to be decisive, you know, that it was very important to get as much information as you needed and then make a decision.’

To be expected, the subject of Daniel Craig’s forthcoming film, Bond 23 briefly came up for discussion. ”We don’t have any plans yet,’ Wilson stated. ‘We’re working on it, you know, we’ll be back.’

Listen to the full interview here for much more, including Barbara Broccoli’s favourite Sean Connery film and her finding out that James Bond was, in fact, not a real person.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.