Bond dominates US box office

Quantum of Solace has taken over $70 million at the US box office this weekend – a record opening for a Bond film in the US breaking the record set by the 2002’s Die Another Day. 

The Daniel Craig vehicle has already proved to be an international success, raking in over $250 million on the overseas market.

Bond beat the animated sequel Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa which took just under $40million.  Also in the top 10 was tv spin-off High School Musical 3: Senior Year and Saw V.  This has been a bumper year for sequels.

The summer saw The Dark Knight breaking box office records, while Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull proved to be a major draw.  Hellboy 2 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor also did solid numbers while others like Rambo and  The X-Files: I Want to Believe passed without great success. 

Attached to the US print of Quantum was the trailer for another franchise rebirth.  In 2009, JJ Abrams Star Trek will be Paramount’s tentpole blockbuster.  The film will deal with the early meetings of the crew of the Enterprise and has a highest budget of any Star Trek film to date.  That will be going head to head with Terminator: Salvation and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Bond producers are already gearing up for another instalment expected to be released in late 2010.  It will be the final part of the trilogy which began with Casino Royale in 2006.  That  movie acted as a reboot for the franchise and detailed how Bond became a double-oh agent.

With the Thanksgiving weekend appraoching it is expected that Quantum of Solace will have staying power at the US box office but it will face strong competition from teen vampire flick Twilight and animated comedy Bolt.