Twilight Takes Big Bite out of Box Office, Sequel Already Planned
Twilight
Teen vampire flick Twilight sucked the life out of its competitors this weekend, earning claiming the No. 1 spot with a $70.6 million opening, according to studio estimates.
Seventy-five percent of that cash flow came from women, Variety reports, and such a strong opening sets a new precedent. Openings of $70 million and up are generally expected from family films and fanboy franchises (see Iron Man and Dark Knight), but this fangirl (or fang-girl?) rush, while expected, exceeded the studio's expectations by more than $10 million.
Though sequels were almost a given considering the success of Stephenie Meyer's book series, Summit Entertainment announced plans for the flick's follow-up, New Moon based on the opening day's numbers alone. A few more factoids? Fifty-five percent of Twilight's audience was under the age 25 and the film's opening marks the biggest by a female director (Catherine Hardwicke) ever.
In its second week, the latest James Bond offering Quantum of Solace spied another $27.4 million to take second place. Though it dropped off 59 percent from its opening stateside, it remained the No. 1 movie overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $418 million. Newcomer 'toon Bolt, featuring the voice talent of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, was right on 007's heels, earning $27 million for third.
Rounding out the Top 5 were Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa with $16 million and sleeper-hit comedy Role Models with another $7.2 million.
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