James Bond is accomplishing his biggest mission ever, bringing theater-going back to life with the appropriately titled “No Time to Die” generating the best IMAX opening weekend ever for the franchise in 24 countries worldwide, including Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Spain, South Africa, Ecuador, and more. The 25th film in the series and the final outing for five-time Bond star Daniel Craig, generated $6.8 mil. across 284 IMAX screens in 50 international markets, according to IMAX.
Setting the stage for the movie’s debut in North America this Wednesday, Oct. 6, at “Early Access” showings in AMC IMAX theaters before opening wide in all theaters Thursday, Oct. 7, “No Time to Die” generated $121.3 million from 54 markets in its foreign debut, which set numerous records, including the biggest opening day for any Bond film ever in the UK and Ireland on Saturday, Oct. 2 with $11.4 mi., and the highest single day of the pandemic era, according to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.com. That is on par with second-best Bond-opening “Skyfall” in most comparable overseas markets and just behind “Spectre,” excluding previews. The $35.1 mil. in the UK is the biggest three-day weekend in the history of the Bond franchise, and the sixth-biggest for any film, due also in part to the movie’s international distributor Universal Studios making it the widest release ever in the UK, playing in 772 cinemas.
The theater-only release (no simultaneous streaming component) is the first Hollywood title of the pandemic era to cross $100 million in its overseas launch without China (where it debuts Oct. 29).
“No Time to Die,” the first major release that was delayed by the pandemic in April 2020 (months after already being delayed from a planned fall 2019 release due to a change in director and additional writers), and the first Bond movie to feature 40-minutes shot with IMAX film cameras, also scored pandemic-era best opening weekends for IMAX in 21 countries, also not including Australia, where it will open in November.
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The movie helped propel IMAX Corp. to its best October weekend ever at the box office, with $30 mil, its biggest global weekend tally since December 2019.
Sony/Marvel’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage blew past projections with a $9.6 million debut at IMAX screens in North America and Russia — good for 9.5% of the film’s overall weekend haul. The film’s $8.6 million gross on 402 IMAX screens in North America marked the company’s best Friday through Sunday domestic opening weekend of the pandemic era.
“This weekend was an unqualified success, proving what today’s box office is capable of — not just with select regions or releases, but with a diverse offering of great content across every key region,” said Megan Colligan, President of IMAX Entertainment.
Even without 007, IMAX films in China enjoyed an enormous opening weekend for the annual National Day Golden Week holiday. A trio of local language releases delivered $13 million in box office for the weekend, led by the historical war epic “The Battle of Lake Changjin,” which debuted to $12.9 million.
Right around the corner for IMAX is “Dune,” debuting in North America and China on Oct. 22 and Disney/Marvel’s “Eternals” on Nov. 5.
— By Scott Hettrick