James Bond Tops Box Office With 'Spectre'

The James Bond franchise saw its second-highest opening ever this weekend with "Spectre," pulling in $73 million to dominate the box office. The 24th Bond adventure and the fourth to star Daniel Craig outsold the other big debut this weekend, "The Peanuts Movie," which tallied $45 million, according to studio estimates.

"Peanuts," which hasn't seen a big-screen rendition since 1980, scored better with critics. But fans turned out in force for the gun- and girl-filled world of James Bond, which sold $9 million in IMAX tickets during the weekend. But the movie failed to match 007's biggest hit, "Skyfall," which grossed $88 million on its first weekend in 2012.

Internationally, "Spectre" has proved even more successful, with more than $300 million in sales over two weeks. “When you look at the global piece, it’s absolutely extraordinary,” Sony’s global distribution chief, Rory Bruer, told Variety. “We’re breaking records in Latin America, in Southeast Asia and Europe.”

"Peanuts" may have put a damper on Bond's sales, with critics celebrating the 3D, computer-animated film's devotion to the beloved comic book characters. The film's success, together with that of "Spectre," came after a Halloween weekend that charted the worst Hollywood earnings for the year.

"The Martian," the space drama starring Matt Damon, sold $9.3 million in its sixth weekend. The Ridley Scott-directed film has brought in nearly $200 million since its late September debut. The top five were rounded out by Jack Black in "Goosebumps" and Steven Spielberg's Cold War thriller "Bridge of Spies," starring Tom Hanks.