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

Sustainable path?
Updated 13 Jun, 2026

Sustainable path?

The FY27 budget is the first clear signal that the government is ready to transition from stabilisation to growth.
Prioritising education
13 Jun, 2026

Prioritising education

THOUGH the improvement in the country’s literacy rate may be slight, as highlighted by the Economic Survey, it ...
Poverty’s rise
13 Jun, 2026

Poverty’s rise

AS attention turns to the government’s plans for the coming fiscal year, one set of figures deserves particular...
A difficult story
Updated 12 Jun, 2026

A difficult story

Unless productivity becomes the dominant target of economic policy, Pakistan will continue to oscillate between crises and fragile recovery.
Rough waters
12 Jun, 2026

Rough waters

AMONGST the key potential triggers for fresh conflict in South Asia is water. The Indian state is behaving in an...
Politicised football
12 Jun, 2026

Politicised football

ALMOST three-and-half years since Lionel Messi led Argentina to FIFA World Cup glory, the latest edition of...