After having the biggest UK opening weekend of any Bond film, new 007 adventure Skyfall has set a second box office record.

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Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that Skyfall earned £37.2 million in its first week, overtaking Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 to secure the biggest seven-day gross of all time in UK box office history.

Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said: "We are very grateful to the Bond fans and all UK cinema audiences for making Skyfall the biggest opening week ever during our 50th anniversary year."

Gary Barber, chairman and chief executive officer of MGM, said: "The continued record-breaking success of this film is a true testament to all involved and the global power of this 50 year old franchise."

Jeff Blake, chairman of Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing and Distribution, added: "We couldn't be more proud of the critical and commercial reaction Skyfall has received.

Skyfall is the twenty-third spy film in the James Bond series, produced by Eon Productions and distributed by MGM and Sony Pictures Entertainment.[4] It features Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond, and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the film's villain. The film was directed by Sam Mendes and written by John Logan, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.

In the film Bond investigates an attack on MI6; it transpires that it is part of an attack on M by former MI6 operative, Raoul Silva. The film sees the return of two recurring characters after an absence of two films: Q, played by Ben Whishaw, and Miss Moneypenny, played by Naomie Harris. Skyfall was the last film of the series for Judi Dench who played M; a role which she had played in the previous seven films. The position is subsequently filled by Ralph Fiennes' character, Gareth Mallory.

Mendes was approached to direct the film after the release of Quantum of Solace in 2008. Production was suspended when MGM encountered financial troubles, and did not resume until December 2010; during this time, Mendes remained attached to the project as a consultant. The original screenwriter, Peter Morgan, left the project during the suspension. When production resumed, Logan, Purvis and Wade continued writing what became the final version of the script, whilst incorporating Morgan's ideas. Filming began in November 2011, and primarily took place in the United Kingdom, China and Turkey.