New Bond film a box-office hit

New James Bond film 'Skyfall' has shot to the top of the box office rankings around the world and notched up one of the biggest UK openings of all time.

But the 23rd Bond movie failed to topple the record set by 'Harry Potter', with 007 scoring the second biggest Friday-to-Sunday opening weekend in UK history.

The movie, starring Daniel Craig, took an estimated £20.1m (€25m) in the UK, making it the biggest opening of the year so far, reported Deadline.

But it failed to smash the UK record set by 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2', the final film in the boy wizard series, which was released in 3D last year.

In the UK, 'Skyfall' also beat the opening weekends of previous Bond films with Craig in the title role, 'Casino Royale' and the follow-up 'Quantum Of Solace'.

The movie notched up 77.7m (€60m) across the globe, and was number one in every country where it opened.

Directed by Sam Mendes, 'Skyfall' also stars Judi Dench as secret service boss M, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Javier Bardem – as Bond’s nemesis Silva - and Ben Whishaw, as Q.

Its world premiere took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London last week.