Box office totals top $67 million for ‘Quantum of Solace’

The Associated Press

“Quantum of Solace,” with Daniel Craig returning as James Bond, easily made for the best opening weekend for the spy franchise, earning more than $67 million at the box office. The series’ first direct sequel opened with nearly $30 million more than its predecessor, 2006’s “Casino Royale.”

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:

Rank/Movie (Studio)/Weekend gross

1. “Quantum of Solace” (Sony/MGM) $67.53 million

2. “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” (Paramount) $35.02 million

3. “Role Models” (Universal) $11.15 million

4. “High School Musical 3: School’s Out” (Disney) $5.66 million

5. “Changeling” (Universal) $4.25 million

6. “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” (Weinstein) $3.15 million

7. “Soul Men” (MGM) $2.35 million

8. “The Secret Life of Bees” (Fox Searchlight) $2.34 million

9. “Saw V” (Lionsgate) $1.77 million

10. “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” (Disney) $1.58 million

11. “Eagle Eye” (DreamWorks/Paramount) $1.46 million

12. “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” (Freestyle Releasing) $1.44 million

13. “Fireproof” (Samuel Goldwyn) $1.26 million

14. “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics) $1.05 million

15. “Body of Lies” (Warner Bros.) $674,495

16. “Dostana” (Yash Raj) $645,604

17. “Max Payne” (Fox) $620,337

18. “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.) $502,334

19. “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” (Miramax) $474,390

20. “Appaloosa” (Warner Bros.) $454,518,