LONDON:— James Bond rules the box office — though he has failed to dethrone Harry Potter.

Producers say the new Bond adventure, "Skyfall," has had the second-biggest opening weekend in British movie history, taking 20.1 million pounds ($32 million) at the U.K. box office.

That is the biggest opening weekend for any of the 23 Bond films, and ranks just behind last year's final Potter movie, "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows — Part 2," which took 23 million pounds in its first weekend in Britain.

"Skyfall" opened this weekend in 25 global markets, taking in a total of $77.7 million between Friday and Sunday.

"We are absolutely overwhelmed with the reaction to Skyfall this weekend. It is particularly thrilling as the UK is home to James Bond and it being the 50th anniversary year," producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, said.

The film, which stars Daniel Craig as agent 007 and Javier Bardem as a villain bent on revenge, opens in the United States on Nov. 9.

Opinion

Editorial

By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...
Not without reform
Updated 22 Apr, 2024

Not without reform

The problem with us is that our ruling elite is still trying to find a way around the tough reforms that will hit their privileges.
Raisi’s visit
22 Apr, 2024

Raisi’s visit

IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi, who begins his three-day trip to Pakistan today, will be visiting the country ...
Janus-faced
22 Apr, 2024

Janus-faced

THE US has done it again. While officially insisting it is committed to a peaceful resolution to the...