The James Bond Film No Time To Die Made £5 Million On Its First Day In The UK Box Office.

The film has been delayed several times by Covid, and the industry is watching closely to see if it can elevate the box office to pre-pandemic levels. Universal Pictures said that Thursday's sales were 13 percent higher than Specter in 2015 but 26 percent lower than Skyfall in 2012.

It is also "the UK's widest theatrical release," they added.

Universal said No Time to Die opened in 772 theaters in the UK also Ireland on Thursday 25 more than the previous record-holder for Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker in 2019. In the first week, film technology company Gower Street Analytics expects to make up 92% of total UK and Irish sales.

The studio said that more than 30,000 people attended midnight screenings in the UK and Ireland, with the film selling 1.6 million tickets for its opening four days earlier. This exceeds Specter's total pre-orders by more than 12% while also matching Skyfall.

Daniel Craig's media caption for James Bond: "I'm so proud ... but it's time to move on."

Charles Gant, box office editor at Screen International, said the film's presentation was "difficult to predict." However, preliminary figures suggest it will be a "must-see film by all demographics" that has been missing in theaters since it reopened, he told BBC News.

Gant described this as "a huge relief for theaters," adding that it "brought customers back to a place where they would see trailers and posters for winter editions like Dune, Eternals, West Side Story, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage." "There's no time to die," "not having to compete with Specter and Skyfall," both of which have grossed more than £95m in the UK and Ireland, he said.

"It just had to land on Casino Royale (£56m) / Quantum Of Solace (£51m) for life - and now there's all the evidence. If he does, it will show the way for the industry. Cinemas and shows that we can still have blockbuster hits even after Covid."

Media caption, members of the royal family join the stars of the new Bond film at its world premiere in London.

Craig's fifth and final Bond film was directed by American director Carrie Joji Fukunaga, in which Lea Seydou, Rami Malek, and Lashana Lynch also star. In his first weekend, he has earned $90 million (£66.7 million) worldwide.

Most critics praised the film, and many gave it a five-star review after it premiered at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this week. However, some have suggested that the film doesn't entirely justify its 163 minutes. According to a study by film chain Vue, No Time To Die is the most anticipated new film by moviegoers this year. Film buff Steve Williams, who saw the movie in London, later told the Press Association that it was "worth the wait."

He added that it was "definitely the last good film for Daniel Craig," while another theatre, Harry Wheeler, added, "It was the best Bond film in a while. I haven't been to the theater in over a year and love to be here again. The film opens Wednesday in South Korea and the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.