Skyfall breaks UK box office record The latest James Bond film, Skyfall, has made history in the UK becoming the highest grossing film of all time, surpassing the record previously held by 3D adventure film Avatar. Skyfall opened in 587 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Friday 26th October, and is still on general release. The film had the second biggest opening weekend in the UK of all time, taking £20.1 million - putting it narrowly behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which took £23m in its first three days. In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M, played by Judi Dench, is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. The film was directed by Sam Mendes, best known for his Oscar-winning film American Beauty. The film also starred Javier Bardem as the villain and Bérénice Marlohe as a Bond girls. The Bond film franchise is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year. It is the longest running series in film history, with 23 films produced since 1962. Peter Taylor, the managing director at Sony Pictures UK, said: It seems fitting in 2012 that the latest James Bond adventure should become the highest grossing movie ever, marking the 50th anniversary of one of our truly iconic cultural characters in record breaking style.