Two weeks ahead of its U.S. debut, Skyfall scored an impressive $80.6 million from 25 foreign markets this weekend. In most territories, the 23rd James Bond flick improved significantly on star Daniel Craig's prior two entries, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, which went on to earn $427 million and $418 million, respectively.
In Bond's native United Kingdom, Skyfall opened with an estimated $32.4 million, which is the second-highest Friday-to-Sunday debut ever there behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. That figure is also up 30 percent over Quantum of Solace and 76 percent over Casino Royale. The movie also had huge first place starts in major markets like France ($9.1 million), Russia ($8.6 million, 58 percent up on Quantum), South Korea ($6.05 million) and Brazil ($3.2 million). It even made a significant dent in smaller European territories like Norway ($2.7 million), Sweden ($2.6 million), Denmark ($2.6 million), Poland ($2.5 million) and Finland ($1.5 million).
IMAX presentations at 79 locations accounted for an estimated $3.5 million, which translates to a very good $45,000 per-theater average. In the U.K., it had the second-best Friday-to-Sunday IMAX opening ever behind The Dark Knight Rises. The format is a big part of Skyfall's strategy: for this movie, the IMAX image includes more information at the top and bottom of the frame, which makes it particularly enticing (though none of these images were actually shot with IMAX cameras).
Skyfall rolls out in to most other overseas territories next weekend before reaching the U.S. on November 9 (Nov. 8 in IMAX).
Hotel Transylvania had its best weekend yet with an estimated $18.1 million. It scored a $3.56 million debut in Spain and a $2.6 million opening in Germany, and so far the animated hit has racked up $91.3 million total. That puts it a week or so away from passing Just Go With It ($112 million) to become star Adam Sandler's highest-grossing movie ever overseas.
Paranormal Activity 4 added $14.1 million from 45 territories this weekend for an early total of $48.3 million. It expanded in to a handful of smaller territories, including the Netherlands where it took second place with $538,000. Next weekend, the horror sequel reaches France, Japan, and a few other markets.
The Bourne Legacy scored $11 million in its Chinese debut this weekend, which is more than the combined lifetime totals of all three previous Bourne movies there. That pushed the movie's overseas total to $138.5 million, and its worldwide figure passed $250 million.
Taken 2 extended its impressive overseas run with another $9.9 million this weekend, which brings its foreign total to $197.9 million. In the process, it blew past the $300 million mark, and it's getting harder and harder to imagine that Taken 3 isn't in the works soon.
Domestic winner Argo reached its first major markets this weekend and earned an estimated $5 million. It had a good $2.1 million first place start in Australia, though it underwhelmed in Spain with less than $1 million.
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