Skyfall passes record

Daniel Craig's latest outing in Sam Mendes' highly acclaimed 'Skyfall' has wooed US audiences to theatres on a big scale.

After 50 years of James Bond, the movie franchise has never been stronger. In recent years, it was in peril, as the movie's studio, MGM went through bankruptcy protection but the story of Bond lives on.

Bond 23 has landed a franchise best with an $87.8 million opening in its first weekend alone. The numbers are phenomenal, with audiences expectations fulfilled : A sophisticated Bond that outclasses many previous movies dating back to 1995's 'Goldeneye' starring Pierce Brosnan.

With this added momentum, the 'Skyfall' reign has ignited a global demand pushing its total tally to a whopping $518 million. At this stage we can envisage it grossing close to $1 billion. It's a phenomenal achievement for a James Bond movie, but after such a long history, this exceptional performance was an even more unlikely feat.

With the success of 'Skyfall', the super soundtrack from Britain's Adele, and a top cast of Bond baddies, American audiences are in for a treat. Now it's time to think about the next movie. Will Craig remain?

Skyfall trailer