LOS ANGELES (AFP)--James Bond maintained his license to thrill movie-goers after new adventure "Quantum of Solace" scored a record opening at the North American box-office, preliminary figures showed Sunday.
The 22nd movie in the franchise - which sees Daniel Craig return as British superspy 007 following "Casino Royale" - smashed the record for a Bond film's opening with $70.4 million, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.
The previous best opening for a Bond movie was the $47 million earned by 2002's "Die Another Day", starring Pierce Brosnan.
James Bond's return to cinemas knocked last week's first place movie, animated children's film "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" off top spot.
The film, featuring Ben Stiller and Chris Rock providing the voices for the wise-cracking zoo animals, was second, with $36.1 million.
In third place was comedy "Role Models," starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott as slacker salesmen.
The film, in which two cynics have to perform community service as mentors to troubled youths, took in $11.7 million, figures showed.
Disney's clean-cut "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" dropped to the fourth spot, with $5.9 million on its fourth week of release.
Clint Eastwood's period drama "Changeling," about a mother played by Angelina Jolie desperate to find her missing boy in 1920s Los Angeles, was in fifth with $4.2 million.
Raunchy comedy "Zack and Miri Make a Porno", about financially-strapped friends played by Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks who try to make a do-it-yourself pornographic movie but end up falling in love, was sixth, with $3.2 million.
"Soul Men" - starring Samuel Jackson and the late Bernie Mac as former soul singers reunited on a road trip for one last concert - dropped one place to seventh, with $2.42 million.
"The Secret Life of Bees," the screen adaptation of the novel by Sue Monk Kidd, moved up one spot, to eighth, with $2.4 million in earnings.
Horror flick "Saw V" finished ninth, earning $1.8 million, and teen-slasher film "The Haunting of Molly Hartley" completed the top 10 with $1.6 million.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 16, 2008 15:29 ET (20:29 GMT)

Publié le 16 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones