'New Moon' Makes Box Office History

'New Moon' Makes Box Office History

$140.7 million in the bank as 80 percent of the film's tickets went to women

By BRYANT GRIFFIN
11-23-2009
Source: CNN

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" pulled in a whopping $140.7 million at the box office this weekend, setting a record for the biggest autumn opening weekend in history and the third biggest three-day debut ever.

Eighty percent of "New Moon" tickets went to women, which propelled the sequel to double 'Twilight's' opening weekend of $69.6 million. Audiences were evenly split in the under 21-years-old category, and awarded the film an "A-" CinemaScore.

However, critical reactions are less favorable for "New Moon" on Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer," where it received a poor 31 percent score.

"New Moon" started its climb to the top with a record-setting $72.7 million opening day, followed by a Saturday total of $43.2 million, and an estimated take of $24.8 million Sunday, according to Hollywood.com. The film also set a new midnight opening record.

Worldwide, "New Moon" raked in $258.8 million.

Mirroring the summer box office season, this November weekend's top 10 films grossed $245 million, an incredible 59 percent spike from last year when "Twilight" enchanted theatergoers; movie theaters have not enjoyed this much success since the July 2008 premiere of "The Dark Knight."

About the Author: Bryant Griffin is the assistant news editor for Airlock Alpha and sister site Rabid Doll. He served as a journalist in the U.S. Army, as well as while a civilian. In 2002, he joined Quantum Global Media Inc., contributing to many early design concepts before shifting his focus back to writing. Bryant hails from Tampa, Fla.