New Moon Topples The Dark Knight’s Opening Day Record

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on November 21, 2009 Share

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Despite my clear disdain for the latest entry in the Twilight series, as written in my review, I must admit that Summit Entertainment is doing something right. The marketing arm of Summit, that is. The production arm is having some trouble assembling a creative team that can deliver a movie that’s more than fan-service, but those marketers seem to be taking things to the next level.

Reports are coming in today that The Twilight Saga: New Moon not only broke the midnight opening record with $26.3 million at 3,514 theaters, but it has also passed The Dark Knight ($67.1m) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($62m) for the all-time highest opening day record, earning an estimated $72.7 million on Friday (11/20). This is more than double the opening day take of the first Twilight film, which earned $35.9 million on the same November weekend in 2008.

Many pundits around the web are talking about the potential for New Moon to overtake The Dark Knight’s 3-day record of $158 million, but I’m not sure I would go that far so soon. We have to remember that the Twilight box office take was very front-loaded. The first film opened to $35 million, then doubled its take over the rest of the weekend to earn $69 million on opening weekend. In order for New Moon to earn over $158m, it would have to more than double it’s $71m opening day take. Don’t be surprised if it gets to $130-140 million range by the end of the weekend.

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  • Rohith
    I am just glad that it didnt end up beating the Dark Knight overall weekend record which was close to $160 million.

    I can't believe Twilight made so much ($140 million). I thought even $100 million estimation was too high but I guess I am wrong. I wonder if it will continue to have a good run in its second week.

    New Moon distributor Summit Entertainment's exit polling indicated that 80 percent of the audience was female and 50 percent was under 21 years old. I don't see what the girls like in this movie.

    btw...IMDB gave New moon a rating of 4.5/10 :-)
  • Dizzledorf
    It's its.
  • I've heard mix reviews, have to see it for myself. Either way I am looking forward to it.
  • ladyofthelake
    Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't HP beat the Transformers midnight showing? I'm not surprised at all, something else will come and beat out New Moon's friday opening sooner than later. Probably another bad movie. I just don't understand teenage/tween girls today or twi moms for that matter. When I was that age, I never obsessed with films/books like girls do toaday. Nobody I knew either, times have changed. I've read these books, saw the last movie, what is everybody so crazy about? Vampires? Go read Anne Rice then. Maybe girls should start reading books by people who can actually write. I'm not that old, but I just don't see the appeal. I know a ten year old girl who does though. At the end of the day, bad movies make money.
  • Winnie_T
    I agree. As a young adult myself, I just don't get the hype that most girls my age have about the whole Twilight, Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, etc = the tween/teen craze. Sure, they're good fun, but it's bewildering to see these movies outperforming movies with substance that deserve to be out there. When a less-than-capable creative team is slapping together some storyline that just wants to capitalise on the popularity of a franchise/teen icon is getting the kudos from the general moviegoing population instead of the hardworking folks who have to bust their asses to get their movie out there, you know something isn't quite right. I fear for the future of cinema.
  • PHiL
    It wont beat The Dark Knight in the long run. I doubt any movie will that comes out will.
  • Beefkiller
    does this actually count as a real movie though???
  • No, it's actually a collection of still images, there's no movement whatsoever.
  • kennethe
    How come when there is a hit movie with a large % being female, there is a huge outcry? Does everything in this country have to be male-dominated? I wish bloggers would slam those Transformers/Lord of the Rings/Spiderman movies more often.
  • N.
    Lord of the Rings isn't male-dominated, and come to that, neither is Transformers. I'm a female, & having read all four Twilight books (regrettably) & watched the first movie.. well, it's nowhere near in the same league as LOTR, which is definitely the best movie series out there & very close to being the best books as well. Twilight/New Moon is only slammed because is deserves it - and besides, 90 % of people who watch it are only watching it because of Robert Pattinson (who was better looking in Harry Potter anyway) or to see Taylor Lautner take his shirt off. Go figure.
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