Zoo animals, Bond draw moviegoers worldwide

DreamWorks Animation's new cartoon sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa grabbed the top spot at the weekend box office in North America, easily beating sales forecasts, while James Bond shook up the international marketplace with a slew of No. 1 openings.

According to studio estimates issued yesterday, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa sold $63.5 million worth of tickets across the United States and Canada during its first three days of release.

Pundits had predicted an opening in the $50 million range for the kid-friendly comedy about a group of zoo-raised animals on the lam. Its 2005 predecessor, Madagascar, opened to $47.2 million during its first three days, and finished with $193.6 million domestically.

Both films were distributed by Viacom Inc's Paramount Pictures on behalf of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

James Bond was the man of the moment internationally as "Quantum of Solace" opened at No. 1 in 57 territories, and held the top spot for a second weekend in Britain, France and Sweden.

Its weekend total from the 60 markets was $106.5 million, and its 10-day haul rose to $160.3 million, said distributor Columbia Pictures.

Daniel Craig's second outing as the super sleuth beat the opening for his 2006 debut "Casino Royale" in every market, in some cases with double the numbers, the Sony Corp-owned studio said.

Top markets included Britain with $15.1 million (and a 10-day total of $50 million), Germany with $15.0 million, Russia and China with $9.1 million each, and South Korea with $4.5 million.