Twilight’s buildup and hype turned into hard green cash this weekend as Summit Entertainment watched its new franchise enter the record books.
Per studio estimates, Twilight raked in an impressive $70.6 million over the Friday to Sunday period, placing it amongst the best opening weekends ever.
With a budget of only $38 million, a pittance compared to other “blockbuster” films, Twilight was into the black after only 2 days in theaters.
Another interesting statistic is Twilight now ranks #1 for an opening weekend film directed by a female (Catherine Hardwicke).
With $35.7 million secured Friday and Saturday, Twilight’s $35 million Sunday take in the midst of the NFL season is one indicator females are making up the majority of the audience. Exit polls suggest up to 75% of all moviegoers attending Twilight this weekend were female.
With a sequel New Moon already entering pre-production after having been greenlit yesterday, Twilight’s presence in pop culture won’t be burning out any time soon.
