'Spectre' earns the Guinness World Records title for largest film explosion

BEIJING, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Spectre, the 24th installment in the James Bond franchise, has earned the Guinness World Records title for the largest film stunt explosion.

The recognition was announced Tuesday at a press conference in Beijing. The blockbuster -- which is now the No. 1 movie in North America -- opens in China this week.

Producer Barbara Broccoli and film stars Daniel Craig and Lea Seydoux – who appear in the record-setting scene – accepted a Guinness certificate on behalf of the official title-holder, Academy Award-winner Chris Corbould, who served as the movie's special effects and miniature effects supervisor.

The explosion was shot for a pivotal scene in the film on June 29 in Morocco. It used 8,418 liters of fuel and 33kg of explosives.

"It is absolutely tremendous that the Guinness World Records have recognized Chris Corbould's incredible work in Spectre in which he created the largest explosion ever in film history," producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a joint statement.

Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday added: "The James Bond movies are synonymous with pushing cinematic boundaries. The latest film, Spectre, has again captured the imagination of global cinema-goers, and this will certainly be due in part to the phenomenal stunts. The scene featuring the world's largest film stunt explosion is spectacular and will live long in the memory as one of the outstanding moments in the Bond franchise."