Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing as 007, Bond: No Time To Die, set the biggest pandemic-era release record, attracting more than 475,000 cinema goers across its opening weekend.
This was the best result since Jumanji: The Next Level, which was released on Boxing Day 2019 and ahead of huge 2021 hit films Godzilla vs Kong and Fast & Furious 9.
Across its entire Thursday-Sunday opening weekend, Bond: No Time To Die helped drive strong total admission figures, delivering a total of 873,000 cinema goers across Australia, a level well above the comparable week in 2019 and up almost 30% on the previous weekend, making this the strongest weekend since July this year.
Bond: No Time To Die smashed local records, raking in $11.2 million across its first four days at the Australian box office.
No Time To Die sits neck and neck with Bond: Spectre, seeing similar results over its opening weekend in 2015.
Guy Burbidge managing director of Val Morgan: “We’re thrilled to see Bond: No Time To Die deliver strong audience results in true 007 style.
"In the wake of restrictions finally lifting across the entire nation, Australians are officially returning to the biggest screen of all, with admit figures sitting strong, up almost 30% on last weekend’s result, and well above the same weekend in 2019.
"It’s clear that there is no loss of appetite for the cinema as high-value audiences have rushed back to see a true cultural media moment that is Bond.”
The Bond effect is expected to ripple through the coming months with huge titles such as Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Dune, Spider-Man No Way Home, The Matrix: Resurrections, Sing 2, and West Side Story, all dropping over the next eight weeks.
2022 is set up for a strong year at the box office with Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, King Richard, The Batman, and Top Gun: Maverick all releasing within the first half of the new year.
Burbidge: “The content slate for the next 18 months is the strongest it’s ever been in cinema – the diversity of the line-up means that we’re forecasting growth in key audiences like 18-39s, AB’s and Families.
"Cinema has always delivered the holy trinity for brands – light TV viewers, heavy SVOD consumers powered with high discretionary spending capacity – making for a compelling proposition for brands looking to deliver impact, attention and experience to their campaigns.”
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