November 21st: Summit Entertainment has announced that the estimated weekend box office gross of New Moon is $140.7 million ($258 million worldwide). It currently holds the title of third largest opening weekend behind The Dark Knight ($158 million) and Spider-Man 3 ($151 million).
Of all the movies being released this year and next, hardly anyone thought this one would be a likely competitor to knock The Dark Knight out of the financial windfall limelight.
What movie is this, you ask? None other than the teen-angst laden, vampire flick The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
The second film installment of The Twilight Saga brought in approximately $26.27 million at it's midnight showing on November 20th, 2009. This figure makes it biggest midnight opening in movie history; topping
The Dark Knight's midnight gross, which was $18.4 million in 2008. It even surpassed the current record holder
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince($22.2 million).
New Moon opened in 3,514 conventional theaters nationwide.
Now, Twilight fans are keeping a close eye on
The Dark Knight's $158 million all-time weekend mark. Though unlikely to beat the world renown Batman sequel (New Moon is opening in 300 less theaters than The Dark Knight), it could give the 2009 champ,
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($108 million), a run for it's money.
What do you think? Will
The Dark Knight loose any more records to New Moon?
Update: The New York Post reported early Saturday morning that preliminary box office estimates are in favor of The Twilight Saga: New Moon taking over The Dark Knight's opening day record.
New Moon = 70 million
The Dark Knight = $67 million
Considering The Dark Knight opened in hundreds more conventional theaters, plus the hundreds of IMAX theaters, this latest figure proves that New Moon is a box office force to be taken seriously.
Fans of the franchise aren't the only ones waiting to see if New Moon takes the largest opening weekend record. Having New Moon top The Dark Knight's first weekend gross of $158 million was thought to be inconceivable by critics; now, even they are keeping silent until the final numbers roll in. When I posed this poll question yesterday:
"Will New Moon beat any more of The Dark Knight's box office records?" You all have voted:
Yes
55 Votes (9.24%) No
169 Votes (28.40%) Sh*t, I hope not
371 Votes (62.35%) After this new information has come out, I'd like to know what you guys think. Here's a new poll:
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