Heading into the weekend, “No Time to Die” was projected to make US$60 million to US$70 million in its first three days of release. Though not a disaster, the film’s final weekend total was expected to be higher, as it received positive reviews and represented Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007.
In light of the pandemic, assessing initial box office results for “No Time to Die” isn’t as clear-cut. For some movies, especially during a public health crisis, an opening weekend of US$56 million would be cause for great jubilation.
But “No Time to Die” is no ordinary film. It carries a massive US$250 million production budget, to say nothing of the more than US$100 million marketing spend.
Add in the tens of millions it cost to delay “No Time to Die,” which was supposed to premiere in April last year before the pandemic altered those plans, and box office experts estimate that, conservatively, “No Time to Die” needs to gross at least US$800 million at the global box office to make money in its theatrical window.
Impressive international reception
Overseas audiences have been turning out for “No Time to Die” at the international box office, where it has already made an impressive US$145 million.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (“True Detective”), the 007 adventure has opened in most major markets except for China (set for Oct 29), which is a popular territory for all things Bond. Globally, the film has collected US$313 million.
At the domestic box office, the slightly muted results for “No Time to Die” are attributable to several factors, including hesitation among older audiences to return to the movies and its lengthy two-hour-and-45-minute runtime, which limited the number of screenings per day.
It’s also the first Hollywood tentpole with real competition at the box office. Sony’s comic book sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” opened last weekend and has continued to pull in crowds, which may have cannibalised ticket sales for Bond.
With “No Time to Die” claiming the No 1 spot on domestic box office charts, the “Venom” follow-up slid to second place with US$32 million, a figure above what many pandemic-era releases have made in their entire theatrical run.
In total, “Venom” has generated a mighty US$141 million in North America and US$185 million worldwide.
In a distant third place on domestic charts, “The Addams Family 2” generated US$10 million, bringing its North American total to US$31.1 million. The animated family comedy, from MGM and United Artists Releasing, is being offered simultaneously on premium video-on-demand platforms.
Disney’s superhero adventure “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” landed at No 4 with US$4.2 million in its sixth weekend in cinemas. Globally, the Marvel comic book adaptation has surpassed US$400 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of the year.
With US$212 million in North America, it remains the highest earning movie of the year at the domestic box office.
“The Many Saints of Newark”, a prequel to “The Sopranos,” rounded out the top five with a paltry US$1.4 million in its sophomore outing. That puts ticket sales for the Warner Bros movie, which premiered day-and-date on HBO Max, at a dismal US$7.4 million. It cost US$50 million to make.