'Skyfall' is Britain's Highest-Grossing Film

The latest James Bond movie, "Skyfall", has become the highest-grossing film in British box office history, its producers said on Wednesday.

The 23rd episode of the spy series, starring Daniel Craig as Agent 007 for a third time, has taken a record £94.3 million ($151.7 million, 116.1 million euros) at British and Irish cinemas in its first 40 days, producers said.

The previous record was held by the sci-fi epic "Avatar", which took £94 million during its entire 11 months on show in Britain and Ireland.

"We’re overwhelmed with gratitude to the cinema-going audiences in the UK who have made 'Skyfall' the highest-grossing film of all time," producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement.

Critics have hailed "Skyfall", starring Spanish actor Javier Bardem as the latest villain, as one of the finest in 50 years of Bond films.

But it still has a way to go before its global takings catch up with those of "Avatar", which remains the most successful movie in history with total earnings of $2.8 billion, according to tracking website Box Office Mojo.

"Skyfall" has taken $869.7 million worldwide so far, the website estimates, making it the 30th-highest-grossing film in history -- although the figures are not adjusted for inflation.

The 50th anniversary of the Bond movies has been marked around the world this year with a series of events, from auctions of Bond memorabilia to exhibitions and a documentary.