The international release of the 22nd Bond film, which picks up where 2006's Casino Royale left off, has been staggered since it premiered in Britain, France and Switzerland on October 31, where it grossed $38.6 million in three days.
With the film due to be released in the United States and Canada on Friday, the marketing tactic seems to have paid off: Mark Zucker, head of international distribution at Sony, said the release made for the 11th biggest international weekend ever.
In the action-packed sequel Bond battles environmentalists to stop them taking over Bolivia's water supply while trying to exact revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, the woman he loved, aided by new Bond-girl Olga Kurylenko.
The film, however, has caused a stir in Russia with communist groups attacking Ukrainian-born Kurylenko, who was discovered by a talent scout in the Moscow subway, for appearing in a movie about the "enemy of the Soviet people."
However the controversy did not affect the Russian release with Quantum raking in $10.4 million over the weekend pushing the popular animated sequel, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, into second place.
