'Spectre' breaks records with USD 80 million opening

The 24th James Bond thriller "Spectre", starring Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz, has opened to a record-smashing USD 80 million overseas this weekend.

In the UK, the film has taken in an estimated USD 64 million in its first seven days of release, the biggest opening run in that country's box-office history, according to a statement by the makers.

"Spectre" took the mark from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," which was also released on a Monday and totalled USD 82 million in 2004.

Albert R Broccoli's EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that the film set a record for the highest seven-day gross in UK box-office history, overtaking the last James Bond film, "Skyfall."

The 2012 film went on to gross USD 1.1 billion worldwide, and become the top franchise performer of all time.

"We are so grateful to all our James Bond fans and the British public for making Spectre's debut in the UK box office history," producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement.

"What an incredible thrill it is for us at MGM to see how James Bond continues to deliver such excitement to his fans. This record-breaking support from UK audiences for what is our 24th outing is nothing short of amazing. We can't wait for the rest of the world to see 'Spectre'," said Gary Barber, MGM Chairman and CEO.

"Spectre" also starring Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Monica Bellucci and Ralph Fiennes, will release in India on November 20, 2015 in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu.