Weekend Box Office: Skyfall Goes Huge Internationally, Affleck Chases Down Daredevil

Daniel CraigStateside, the top dogs at the box office were kids’ movie Wreck-It Ralph, Denzel Washington’s drunk-Sully drama Flight, and Ben Affleck’s deathless prestige hit Argo, in that order. As EW reports, Ralph‘s $49.1 million haul makes it “the strongest debut ever for a Walt Disney Animation production (i.e., not including Pixar titles).” Flight managed $25 million at 1,884 theaters, meaning, at $13,275 per, it had the strongest per-theater average in the top 20. Most important: Argo, which pulled in another $10.2 million for $75.9 million overall, is on pace to break $100 million, and therefore is on pace to become the biggest Affleck movie since … yep, Daredevil (that one crashed out at $102 million). This dude Affleck is just exorcising any and all demons right now, huh?

Meanwhile, across the oceans, James Bond crushed. After opening internationally 10 days ago, Skyfall has already pulled in $287 million, off the back of $156 million — spread over 81 countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Austria, India, Taiwan, and Mexico — this weekend. And that’s just the beginning: It’s now tracking at an $80 million opening for America. And so … wait a minute — what is going on? Why can’t we defeat 81 other countries — including Germany, Italy, Spain, Holland, Austria, India, Taiwan, and Mexico — in showing our financial appreciation for a British secret agent? What ever happened to American exceptionalism?!

Filed Under: Argo, Skyfall

Amos Barshad has written for New York Magazine, Spin, GQ, XXL, and the Arkansas Times. He is a staff writer for Grantland.

Archive @ AmosBarshad