New Bond film’s debut is to die for

The granddaddy of movie franchises proved it still has muscle, as the latest James Bond thriller, “Die Another Day,” landed at No. 1 with an estimated $47.2 million, 007’s biggest opening.

The film, which stars Pierce Brosnan, skewed high among men and women under 25, a demographic MGM executives knew they had to attract to sustain the franchise. Nearly 55% of the audience consisted of males younger than 25, while 53% were females in the same age group.

The movie probably benefited from the casting of Oscar winner Halle Berry, who as the CIA seductress Jinx introduces a new breed of Bond girl.

The studio’s aggressive promotion of a scene with Berry emerging from the ocean in an orange bikini -- an updated version of Ursula Andress’ entrance in “Dr. No” -- no doubt helped tantalize the male audience, as did the Madonna-sung theme song, which is played in regular rotation on MTV.

This summer, many observers speculated Vin Diesel’s “XXX” would eclipse Bond. But “Die Another Day” opened with nearly the same amount as the Diesel vehicle. The new Bond film is also reportedly breaking records in the United Kingdom, Spain and France. In comparison, “The World Is Not Enough” premiered three years ago at $35.5 million.

“The challenge with any franchise is to make sure you offer something fresh and new and that you reach out to a new audience,” said MGM marketing executive Peter Adee.

Among returnees, Warner Bros.’ “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” slipped to second place with an estimated $42.4 million, a 51% drop from its $87-million opener. New Line Cinema’s “Friday After Next” debuted in third at $13 million. And Disney’s “The Santa Clause 2” came in fourth with $10.3 million for a four-week total of $95 million.

Dropping 54% from last week was “8 Mile,” earning an unofficial $8.7 million to round out the top five. Despite a strong opening, the Eminem movie has fallen precipitously on consecutive weekends. Its total is about $97.7 million. Universal’s “The Emperor’s Club,” which was released on 807 screens, debuted at a respectable $4.1 million.

New and continuing prestige films also performed well this weekend, notably Pedro Almodovar’s “Talk to Her,” which played in two theaters in New York and grossed an estimated $105,000. It opens Dec. 13 in Los Angeles.

Phillip Noyce’s “The Quiet American,” from Miramax/Intermedia, opened in six theaters and took in an estimated $111,000, averaging $18,500 per screen. Miramax’s “Ararat,” which took in $112,000, and “Frida,” which earned an estimated $2.4 million, continue to do well. “Frida” was No. 10 in its fifth weekend and has earned $12.1 million.

Samuel Goldwyn’s “El Crimen Del Padre Amaro” (The Crime of Padre Amaro) in its second weekend averaged a healthy $8,457 in 86 venues with $727,302 and $1.5 million total.

Todd Haynes’ “Far From Heaven,” took in $1.7 million, making the total for the Focus Features release a respectable $3.2 million.

MGM’s “Bowling for Columbine” grossed $1.5 million, bringing the documentary’s total to $10.5 million. Artisan’s “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” took in $316,000.