Kiwi crowds must wait to see record breaking Bond flick

The world is going crazy for James Bond, but Kiwi fans must wait to discover what all the fuss is about.

Spectre, the latest installment in the popular 007 franchise is breaking all time box office records, but New Zealanders won't get a slice of the action until next Thursday when it opens in cinemas here.

The film has shattered box office records in nearly every market in which it has been released, led by a historic performance in the UK on October 26.

It won't open in New Zealand until November 12 - so why do fans here have to wait?

"It really depends on what else is on, how close it is to the school holidays," General Manager of Sony Pictures NZ Andrew Cornwell said.

"For instance the latest Star Wars film will be released on Thursday [December] 17, it's going to be released a day later in the US, we try to deliver to suit the local market. In the case of Bond we have got half an eye on the next school holidays," he said.

"We are screening the same weekend as Australia, we have got to be quite close behind, but some release dates aren't necessarily best for the consumer, it's a fine art."

In Spectre, Daniel Craig returns to the role of Bond for the fourth time, where he is sent on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful widow of an infamous criminal.

Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as Spectre.

It launched overseas to an estimated NZ$95 million in the first seven days, securing new records for the biggest opening of all time in British box office history.

Spectre knocked Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban off its perch to take the top spot.

The Bond flick also achieved a new highs for biggest seven-day gross in UK box office history, overtaking the last film in the series, Skyfall.

"We're so grateful to all our James Bond fans and the British public for making Spectre's debut in the UK box office history," producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said.

This is the 24th Bond adventure and continues its reign as the longest running and most successful film franchise in cinema history.

MGM Chairman and CEO Gary Barber said the ongoing success was "nothing short of amazing".

"What an incredible thrill it is for us at MGM to see how James Bond continues to deliver such excitement to his fans."

- nzherald.co.nz