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'New Moon' madness leads to a record smashing opening day at the box office
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A post-modern "Love Story?" Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in "New Moon."
After the last week's raucous debut of "2012," a different kind of prophecy is being fulfilled as "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" thundered into cinemas this weekend. In a year where audiences have been indifferent to many high profile projects, "New Moon" fully restored that missing ingredient at the box office: the event film people can't wait to see.
Following its record-setting midnight screening program, "New Moon" surpassed the opening day record of $67.2 million set in 2008 by "The Dark Knight." With a towering $72.7 million from 4,024 cinemas, the latest chapter in the "Twilight" saga is racing to a projected weekend total of more than $150 million.
A true cultural phenomenon, the Stephenie Meyer-penned romance between a vampire and a mortal has tapped into a mindset that has caught many in the industry by surprise. While reviews for the "Twilight" film adaptations have been wildly mixed, the term "fan worship" barely applies. Fueled largely by a female audience, the massive numbers posted by "New Moon" defy traditional demographic models of event films, which are usually championed by young males over the summer season. The success of the "New Moon" is arguably the first time in film history that women have taken a major Hollywood project to such heights.
FRIDAY NIGHT FIVE Revised: In other box office activity, Sandra Bullock and "The Blind Side" managed to catch some attention away from “New Moon” with a strong $11 million from 3,110 locations. Experiencing a precipitous drop 65% to third place after its own earthshaking debut, "2012" earned $8.1 million for an overall total of $89.8 million after eight days in release. “Precious” continued to ride the crest of acclaim, also adding $3.6 million as it continued its national expansion. The indie drama has now earned an estimated $14 million to date. And families found themselves heading to "Planet 51," which bowed with $3.1 million 3,035 locations.
Are you part of film history? What brought you to "New Moon?" Leave your comments below.
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