Bond Bounces Back in ‘Skyfall’s Fifth Weekend

It was victory once more for Skyfall, as after giving up its mantle for three weeks to Twilight, the latest 007 thriller recaptured the number one spot thanks to the D.O.A. Gerard Butler flick Playing for Keeps failing to make any kind of impact. 

With $10.8 million for the weekend, Skyfall retook the top spot and upped its domestic tally to a huge $261.4 million, which is essentially $100 million more than either of the other two previous Daniel Craig Bond flicks. It is also the first film since How to Train Your Dragon to take the top spot in its fifth weekend after dropping down a notch or two.

Worldwide, Skyfall has amassed an astonishing $918 million and is now Sony’s highest-grossing overseas property of all time. With holiday holdover frames to come and the addition of China next month, smashing the $1 billion milestone is a given. 

Posting the lowest decline of any repeat film, Rise of the Guardians slipped by just 22 percent for a $10.4 million weekend and reached $61.8 million in North America, $152.3 million worldwide. The holiday theme and solid word of mouth is saving DreamWorks’ latest from turning outright disastrous, though becoming profitable in theaters is going to be a challenge. 

The Top 10 

1. Skyfall - $10.8M…$261.4M61.8M
2. Rise of the Guardians - $10.4M…$
3. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 - $9.1M…$268.7M
4. Lincoln - $8.9M…$97.1M
5. Life of Pi - $8.3M…$60M
6. Playing for Keeps - $5.7M…$5.7M
7. Wreck-It Ralph - $4.9M…$164.4M
8. Red Dawn - $4.2M…$37.2M
9. Flight - $3.1M…$86.2M
10. Killing Them Softly - $2.8M…$11.8M

Slipping to third after three consecutive victories was The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 which added $9.1 million for a tally of $268.7 million and $751.1 million globally. A record-breaking worldwide total has already been clinched. 

In fourth and fifth, awards hopefuls Lincoln and Life of Pi upped their cumes to $97.1 million and $60.9 million respectively which are both great results considering the subject matter. 

Down in sixth was Gerard Butler and his romantic drama Playing for Keeps, which was more than a little sluggish with $5.7 million. A dead frame and no marketing or cross-quadrant appeal meant little salvation could be found in the shadow of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. 

Yes, the Peter Jackson epic rolls out in more than 4,000 theaters next weekend, looking to be the fifth movie of 2012 to open to more than $100 million. Considering the hype, 3D and the continued popularity of the novel, it should mean big things are coming for Middle Earth.