The spending power of the Twi-hards is impressive. Record-setting impressive. Thanks to all the kids decked out in R-Pattz baby tees and Twilight-emblazoned watches, the second film in the “Twilight” series made box office history this weekend and has racked up the third-highest opening gross in film history, bringing in an impressive $140.7 million. Not surprisingly, the audiences were 80% female. And I’m guessing about 15% of the 20% remaining males were dragged along by their girlfriends.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon has had the third-biggest opening weekend in film history.
According to box office totals released Sunday, the vampire romance starring Rob Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart grossed a stellar $140.7 million during its first weekend in theaters, earning $72.7 million on its Friday opening day alone.
“I dare say in all the office pools, I don’t think anyone had near this top gross,” Summit Entertainment distribution president Richie Fay said.
New Moon, the second installment in Summit’s Twilight Saga, also holds the record for most advance ticket sales. A reported 80% of all ticket buyers were women.
Heath Ledger’s The Dark Knight remains the top-grossing weekend box office earner, taking in $158.4 million during its first outing in 2008. Spider-Man 3 stays in second place, earning $151.1 million out of the gate in 2007.
New Moon’s opening weekend even trounced its predecessor’s box office totals.
Twilight earned $36 million on Nov. 21, 2008 and posted a three-day weekend take of $69.6 million.
[From Us Weekly]
I’m not surprised that New Moon earned so much more than Twilight. Obviously Twilight was big, but it was still a lot of people’s introduction to the Vampire series. There weren’t as many people lining up six hours in advance for tickets on the opening day. But the frenzy has steadily built since then, and everyone and their grandmother is into the series now.
The film hasn’t exactly gotten the greatest reviews, with the Times Online calling it “The cinematic equivalent of a Jonas Brothers concert.” Which, honestly isn’t the worst thing ever. It’s meant to appeal to teens and tweens, as are the Jonas Brothers. A film reviewer is likely to feel that they’re both slick and over-processed. Still, Twi-hards don’t give a damn about film reviews – all they care about is analyzing every gaze between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. And swooning. I feel like they care a lot about swooning. It’s good news for the whole Twilight cast, who can obviously expect their fame to rise even higher.
Here’s the New Moon cast at the Cinema Society & D&G screening of ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ at Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema in New York City on November 19th. Images thanks to WENN.com and Fame Pictures .
Never understand why people stand in line for hours to get tickets to a show that will be running for at least a couple weeks. Wouldn’t it be the same show two or three days later?
Haven’t seent New moon yet and probably won’t until I get a *copy* for home. Can’t wait to be unimpressed.
My Twihard friends dragged me to a matinee showing yesterday….it was AWFUL. I kept laughing during the movie because it was so cheesy. Also…I didn’t like the music they used…and the actors(Pattinson and Stewart especially) were TERRIBLE.
Just my two cents.
They wait in line because they want to prove to everyone how hardcore a fan they are by being there first.
I don’t get the fuss over the “Twilight” books at all. Stephanie Meyer is an awful writer, the premise has been done a trillion times before (and MUCH better) by other writers and, so far, both films have been the very definition of ‘underwhelming’. They are boring enough to make you comatose, to be honest.
It’s really sad when a film’s trailer is actually more exciting than the film itself. As for the books, I GRIEVE for the trees that had to be cut so that that crap could be printed.
Oh! I love, love, love the dress K-threw-up-in-my-mouth is wearing.
The dress…not her. Even her b*tch face pout can’t ruin the look of that awesome dress!
I don’t get it.
I wonder if any of these actors will go on to have a Harrison Ford like career or they’re all basically Mark Hamills and Carrie Fishers. I think the latter.
I think you’re all being a bit harsh, I’m sure if I was 14 I’d also be swept up in the hormonal angst of it all. (He is also rather lovely in a floppy poetical sort of way). As a middle-aged woman I actually preferred The Host, wonder if there’ll be a film of that made?
Yes,
I want to say that Summit bought the rights to “The Host” I read it in my “Creative Writing Screenplay” magazine. If it’s NOT Summit which I’m 98% sure did someone else paid for the rights to be made into a movie!
Doubtless I’ll see it in a few months, just for the laugh. I thought Twilight was very amusing, sometimes even for the right reasons! 😉
Sparkles is starting to do that old-school Hugh Grant-as-Lord Byron thing; stoppit Sparkles!
Kirsten’s dress is gorgeous. I wish she had a little more colour in her face (a slight blush and pinkish lipstick, or indeed ANY lipstick, not fake tan). I don’t mind her and think she’s good for the halfwitted clod Bella is seemingly supposed to be.
I love the dress the last girl with the dark hair (name?) is wearing, I love the simple shape with a complex texture. Her makeup is flawless also. 🙂
I saw the movie a few days ago with couple of my friends who are huge Twilight fans and even they found New Moon to be a total crapfest, now thats saying something. It gets even more cringeworthy obvious with every movie, that the books were written by a person who was completely unpopular in school and not a looker, that always wished and fantasized that a hot guy out of her league would come up one day and pick her out of everyone to be his girlfriend. Looking at the author whatshername, she seems to fill the description. It is kind of sad really.
seriously, I DON’T GET IT!
it probably represents the number of romantic and non-critical teenager girls nowadays.
didn’t see twilight, therefore probably won’t see new moon
I’m definitely not impressed, but I can remember in my youth needed to be the 1st in line to see “Purple Rain” I knew it wasn’t going to be a cinematic masterpiece, but I was caught up in the Prince frenzy. I can see why the Twi-hards are rolling with this and believe me they will feel as stupid later in life as I do now
This is the moment I have completely lost faith in the next generation.
Enonymous good description, I was thinking along similar lines. There’s no real character development, you don’t get a feel of why these two should like each other. there’s no good conversation, no flow and it’s utterly awkward and boring to watch.
good for the writer, she’s laughing all the way to the bank with these crapfests.
I had to post again. a reviewer on PAJIBA.COM hit the nail on the head about the twilight phenomenon. His review is titled why TWILIGHT doesn’t signal the end of The world culturally. What he says make complete sense when you think about it. Read it if you can find it.
I loved Twilight. Edward/Bella forever. Such a wonderful romance and yes, I love that it’s Rob and Kristen in the roles. They were wonderful 😀 Taylor was really sweet too.
Im sorry but I cant see the attraction for Robert P…. Is it just me??? He does NOTHING for me…
Novaraen: I love love the soundtrack, much more than the actual movie. This being the actual soundtrack album and not the tiny samples of the songs used in the movie. The movie really is just the same as the book so it’s really not surprising or very exciting. I agree that the fans don’t care so much for how good the movie is, which is such a shame as they could develop the books into really interesting and quality movies… But why waste their money doing that when they clearly don’t need to? Shame.
Went with my boyfriend and one of our couple friends and I thought it was boting and WAAAAAYYYYY too long!! Kristen Stewart is a god-awful terrible actor….even my friend who loved the movie nudged me and laughed when she was screaming that she would rather die than edward be killed…….ugghhhh! And the so-called romance makes me sick. It’s this sick, twisted 14 year old girl “I’ll kill myself if you leave” kind of co-dependency infatuation. For christ-sakes….when Edward leaves she sits in a depressed funk for 6 months. It is sooooo obvious that these books are written by a a fat girl who’s spent her whole life dreaming of her own Edward to be complete. Yuck….do yourself a favor and skip it.
This guy is supposed to be attractive?
He looks like a homeless guy who just stole somebody’s suit.