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'New Moon' Broke International Records
BREAKING NEWS! SUNDAY AM UPDATE: Twilight Saga moviemaker Summit Entertainment said this morning that NEW MOON opened with a phenomenal performance of a gargantuan $140.7 million first weekend in North America and, $118.1M from 25 international markets from Wednesday through Sunday, and a worldwide 5-day total of $258.8M. These numbers may change as Sunday actuals come in Monday.
The Twilight sequel's vampires and werewolves shattered the All-Time 3rd Biggest Opening Weekend record of $135.6M, as well as the All-Time Single Day and Friday Opening records. It also set the record for Biggest 2-Day Total with $115.9M, passing The Dark Knight’s 2-day take of $114.8M. It was the Biggest November Opening in history besting Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire's $102.7M. (See below for details.)
Hollywood was stunned as night after night the New Moon numbers kept breaking even four-quadrant Dark Knight and Harry Potter film records. Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight Saga" novels -- New Moon is the second in the series -- are now proving as much of a phenomenon as comic books and J.K. Rowling for source material at the box office. And two-quadrant New Moon also has shown that when female audiences support a film, it can absolutely dominate box office. (With the audience exactly split under and over age 21, exit polling showed that 80% were female.)
The pic is confirmed to have debuted to $72.7 million Friday from 4,024 North American theaters. This shattered both previous All-Time Friday and Single Day records of $67 million set by 2008's The Dark Knight. Friday's total included New Moon's $26.27M in 12:01AM screenings from 3,514 theaters. That set a new midnight opening record, smashing The Dark Knight's $18.4M set on July 18, 2008, and Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince's $22.2M set on July 15, 2009.
Clearly the pic's "A-" CinemaScore helped mitigate the weekend drops. Saturday's grosses went down a less than expected -40% for $43.2M, and another -40% is anticipated for Sunday. The total $140.7M number won't break the all-time opening domestic weekend record set by The Dark Knight of $158.4M in 2008 or by Spider-Man 3 of $151.M in 2007. But it does jump into the No. 3 spot previously held by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest with $135.6M in 2006. All three of those movies were released in the summer, unlike New Moon which also scored the biggest Non-Summer Friday-Saturday-Sunday (3-Day) Weekend opening ever. (Note that none of these numbers have been adjusted for inflation or higher ticket costs or theater counts.) Amazing, especially since Hollywood thought New Moon might, repeat might, do Iron Man numbers of around $100M.
New Moon also smashed the $36M earned by Twilight on its first Friday exactly a year ago. (Thursday night, Summit re-issued Twilight in 2,057 theaters and took in $1.3M.) Twilight’s opening weekend total was $69.7M.
According to Fandango, New Moon was trending to sell more than 10 tickets per second on the site throughout the course of Friday. Last week, both Fandango and MovieTickets.com said New Moon became No. 1 on their list of the Top 10 Advance Ticket Sellers of All Time (unseating the Batman, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings franchises). Here's how:
Although Summit switched up directors, from Catherine Hardwicke to Chris Weitz, it kept screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and of course the principal cast: heartthrobs Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, and Kristin Stewart. 
And, always, the filmmakers pandered to the fans inbetween the time that Twilight left theaters and New Moon began filming. When the New Moon trailer was released online, it scored 5.8 million views in the first 24 hours, demonstrating the fans' pent-up demand. Right before the latest in the franchise was released, Summit marketed New Moon with a 15-city cast tour in shopping malls and NYC's Times Square. On Thursday and Friday, anecdotal reports were streaming in to me about gargantuan lines at United States and Canada theaters crowded with female tweens, teens, their mothers, and generally women over the age of 25. Moviegoers are also said to include boys and men, but to a much lesser extent. The Twi-Hards were playing Twilight trivia games, wearing Twilight T-shirts, reading Twilight Saga novels, and even doing homework while on line in their Team Edward or Team Jacob sweatshirts and movie costumes.
Internationally, New Moon will play in 75 territories total, rolling out from Wednesday through Sunday in 25 markets and maxing out by mid-December. This is said to be the tightest independent worldwide release ever. It rolled out overseas to a big start, opening Wednesday in France to $4.4 million, which was nearly four times the $1.2 million earned there on the first day of Twilight.
Yes, there were other movies opening and playing in North America. According to my sources, Alcon Entertainment's well reviewed and truly heartwarming newcomer based on a true story about rookie Baltimore Ravens player Michael Oher, The Blind Side was a huge No. 2. Based on the book by Michael Lewis and distributed by Warner Bros, it features some of Sandra Bullock's best on-screen work. This is also her 3rd film released this year, and her biggest opening weekend. (June's The Proposal made $33.6M.) The pic scored a rare "A+" CinemaScore. Even rival studios admitted the movie "hits that uniquely American chord." It opened to $10.9 million Friday and $15M Saturday (+28%) from 3,110 dates for an overperforming $34.5M weekend thanks to all the New Moon frenzy at the box office. The movie sure blind-sided Hollywood which expected it to do only $20M tops!
No. 3 was holdover 2012, the mega-disaster pic from Roland Emmerich (who's a 25% gross proft participant on the budget buster that came in somewhere between a budget of $200M-$325M). "It actually held fine on the worst night it will face," a Sony exec told me about Friday's -65% domestic drop from a week ago for $8.1M from 3,408 plays. But it bounced back Saturday for $11.6M and $26.5M weekend. Its new North American cume to date is $108.2, and its worldwide total is now more than $449.8M in its first 12 days of release.
At No. 4, Columbia/Sony's Planet 51 animated comedy limped in for just a $3.0M Friday opening and $5.5M Saturday (+77%)from 3,035 venues. It made for a $12.6M first weekend for the debut motion picture film from Ilion Animation Studios despite an aggressive TV ad campaign.
In 5th place, Disney's A Christmas Carol hangs in for its 3rd weekend with $3.5M Friday and $5.5M Saturday from 3,578 theaters for a $12.2M weekend and fresh cume of $79.5M.
At No. 6, Lionsgate's Oscar-touted Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire expanded its theater count again to 629 runs for a $3.5M Friday and $4.8M Saturday (+36%). The critical hit promoted by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry as well as George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara is officially a box office hit as well as it racks up what's an $11M weekend for a new $21.9M cume even after playing in very limited release until now.
No. 7 was The Men Who Stare At Goats (entering its 3rd week) from Overture which made $2.7M from 2,056 dates. No. 8 was Universal's Couples Retreat (7th week) with $1.9M from 1,712 plays. No. 9 was The Fourth Kind (3rd week), also from Universal, with $1.7M from 1,648 runs. And, rounding out the Top 10, Overture's Law Abiding Citizen (6th week) with $1.6M from 1,327 theaters.
I'm told that this weekend's top 6 films alone could total $237M. All the films add up to the 2nd biggest non-holiday weekend ever, behind 2008 Dark Knight summer weekend total of $260M. It's also the biggest non-summer weekend total, beating 2005 Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire's weekend total of $180M. Wow!
FRIDAY AM UPDATE: Summit Entertainment just announced its New Moon debuted with $26.27M in 12:01AM screenings from 3,514 theaters. That sets a new midnight opening record, smashing The Dark Knight's $18.4M on July 18, 2008, and Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince's $22.2M on July 15, 2009. (Summit's re-release of Twilight Thursday night in 2,057 dates made $1.3M.)
THURSDAY PM: I've learned tonight from rival studios that Summit Entertainment's New Moon could break the all-time midnight opening record for a motion picture as it opens across North America in 3,514 theaters at 12:01 AM Friday. But can it really beat Dark Knight & Harry Potter 6?
The vampire and werewolf pic may also smash the all-time biggest single day and biggest Friday opening records, too, if it continues on a roll. The frenzy means New Moon could topple all those opening day records set by Warner Bros' The Dark Knight in 2008 & Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince this past summer. The Twilight sequel's presales already outdid the rebooted Batman sequel's, and those had been the #2 all-time box office winner. Indie studio Summit isn't reporting any midnight estimates tonight, so the majors have been trying to track the grosses with a mixture of fear and envy to see how New Moon will start its North American debut weekend.
"This pic is doing phenomenal. It's breaking records," one rival studio exec gushed to me at 5 PM PT Thursday night. "It's ahead of Dark Knight. It could break every existing record for Friday. But Saturday will be a different story." That is quite a statement.
Dark Knight scored the 2nd biggest midnight preview gross with $18.4 million in 3,040 theaters when it opened. It went on to debut $67M its first day. But then the Batman pic dropped 29% from Friday to Saturday, when it made $47.6M, and then did $43.6M Sunday, for a total $158.4M from July 18-20, 2008. Twilight, the New Moon prequel, had a big 49% drop from Friday to Saturday, and rival studios are predicting the same drop for New Moon this weekend because of its 2-quadrant appeal.
- TWI-HARDS TURN OUT: Long Lines, Huge Crowds At 'New Moon' Midnights
- 'New Moon' Opened Huge Internationally!
- 'New Moon' Opened Internationally Today
- MovieTickets & Fandango: 'New Moon' All Time No. 1
- FANS & FANGS! Hollywood Thinks 'New Moon' Can Do 'Iron Man' Numbers
- 'New Moon' 94% Of Online Ticket Sales
- FANDANGO: Twilight Sequel 'New Moon' #1 Advance Online Ticket Seller
- Twilight Saga Fans Already Lining Up For Monday's 'New Moon' Premiere
- Summit To Market 'Twilight Saga: New Moon' With 15-City Cast Tour
- Summit Buys Documentary About 'Twilight/New Moon' Town
- Twilight 'New Moon' Trailer Scores 5.8 Mil Views In 24 Hours
- 'Twilight 2': Diversity Casting Isn't Hard
- Taylor Lautner Locked In For 'New Moon'
- TOLDJA! Chris Weitz To Direct 'Twilight' Sequel; Helmer Reassures Fans
- SOURCE: 'Twilight' Sequel Offer From Summit Out To Director Chris Weitz
- Hardwicke Nixed For 'Twilight' Sequel; Summit Looks For 'New Moon' Director
- TOLDJA! Summit Announces 'Twilight' Sequel "New Moon'
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We sold out in advance all 300 tickets for our theater. They were streaming into the place at 11 pm, maybe only 10 guys total. The best thing about the movie was the soundtrack with the songs [not the incidental music]. I watched it an all I can say is that if it wasn’t for the hot guys attracting the girls this movie would only appeal to Emo/Goth type kids. And the special effects as far as the werewolves went were pretty bad, they did not look that believable.
What do believable werewolves look like?
Why don’t you ask Rick Baker that question (you know the guy who won the Oscar for makeup for An American Werewolf In London?)?
How would Rick Baker know what a werewolf really looks like? How would anyone? I’m gonna let you in on a secret, VDOVault…ready?
Werewolves do not exist.
But guess what…ready?
HORRIBLE CGI EFFECTS DO.
The special effects in “New Moon” are horrible – fifth rate.
Domestically Twilight will peter out at 385 million domestically and 560, internationally.
How do you say “Titantic” in vampire?
“Avatar”
“Ratava”, actually. I looked it up.
Hormones.
I drove by the local movie theater to see what all the hype was about, and it was packed. I’ve never seen long lines like that at the local theater.
It will break some records, but I expect it to falter after two weeks because the male demographic, forgive the pun, just won’t bite.
Two weeks is generous. Expect a BRUNO-type drop off before the weekend is over.
My God what a self serving, pompous idiot you are. You must have just started tracking movies this Summer to make such a stupid statement.
Don’t expect a drop off at all. When I saw it last night (It was a great unintentional comedy) with a bunch of screaming fangirls, I knew that the fans were loving what they saw.
Trust me, hardcore twilight fans will see this as many times as they can in theaters. And they’re going to go more than once this weekend provided they can get tickets; and if they can’t then they’re just going to go next weekend.
You can’t underestimate twilight fans…
i agree, twilight fans are like rabid dogs
fans definitely enjoyed this movie a lot more then the first one, and i think that is mainly because of the director Chris Weitz. He stuck close to the series for the movie while Catherine strayed from many important scenes vital to the first book…I might not be completely right about this but Twilight fans seem even more passionate then harry potter fans have ever been.
Bruno type drop off!?!? HA! You don’t know this audience nor have a sister! My two sisters saw the first one three times…between opening day the Friday before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving. They plan on seeing it more then once.
Sorry dude, you’re way off…as a 30 something mom to 4, you wouldn’t believe the types I’ve met who are bursting at the seams to see this movie. I gaurentee there will be repeat movie goers as well. I will watch it, and probably have to go back for more before it closes out and will wait in eager anticipation for the DVD. And it’s not the actors so much as the story. I know….you just don’t get it. Read the books. And take it from someone who likes very gory, very out there paranormal fiction, though this probably won’t show much blood, it’s the storyline that really sells it. The hot actors help a bit, but I’m already looking forward to the movies for Eclipse and Breaking Dawn (which might be in 2 movies). The story only gets better in the latter 2 sequels.
Excuse me for my ignorance, but what story exactly are you talking about?
I think I’ve never read books that bad in my whole life, and I read books for a living. Even Dan Brown seems to be an accomplished writer compared to this, and I have no idea how Ms Meyer ever found a publisher.
If I recall correctly, legions of fans were disappointed by Book # 4, so it can only get better if the scripts improve, which I highly doubt, because – why would Summit spend any money on anything, as the bad wigs and the awful special effects prove all too obviously.
There are only two people on screen who stand out in this accumulation of mediocrity: Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart.
It won’t be easy to surpass the other performances in terms of embarrassment.
The economy can’t be too bad if people willingly pay money to watch this more than once.
(which I luckily didn’t have to as I got to see it for free, and I still felt as if I was compelled to ask for my money back)
So where is the tard that said this movie would drop off? Like the taste of that crow you’re eating?
Go back to watching movies and learn.
Um…
If you actually think the Twilight movies are GOOD movies…?
Then you have a LOT to learn.
They are fodder for 14 year old girls and lonely housewives. The author knows it. The studio knows it. And they’re laughing all the way to the bank with your money – and you apparently DON’T know it.
You insane?
Im not even a hradcore fan and Ive seen it twice already!
Dont underestimate women, their friends, sisters and cousins who all demand that they see it with everyone at different times
It’s official, fangirls are crazier than fanboys!
but these tweens missed the best episode of the Vampire Diaries yet! way hotter vamps, steamy sex scene, killer twists, and shocking cliffhanger! oh well, different fang series for different crowds.
Loved Vampire Diaries last night! Agree, best episode yet.
what the hell is wrong with people?
Best post I’ve read today.
If you mean what is wrong with people that they pack the theaters at midnight to see a movie that a) is horrendously horrible and b) is based off a book so the story is pretty much solved for you already then yes, I agree with you. What is wrong with people?
Just one more slippery banana peel on the road to The Decline and Fall of Western Civilization.
“It will break some records, but I expect it to falter after two weeks because the male demographic, forgive the pun, just won’t bite.”
They’ll bite if they want to score some girls. Odds are in their favour if they do go. Twi fangirls are pretty receptive to any guy brave enough to see the movie. And definite bonus points for any guy who actually makes an effort to understand the appeal. :-p
And by appeal you mean the liking of a horrible movie with lousy acting and cheap directing and so on and so forth? If so, I understand the appeal. If not, then the appeal is lost because I can’t get passed the horribleness of the movies. Period.
Movies like this don’t deserve to be released. And trust me, I’m not just saying this because I’m a guy and I hate girls or whatever. I absolutely hated Transformers 2 (and the first one for that matter) so this has nothing to do with bias.
Why are you so vehemently against something you have not watched? It only shows ignorance on your part. The first movie, Twilight, was awful compared to the book. It made me mad that they insulted fans of the novel series with it. This movie is so faithful to the book and the acting has improved, so it will be more successful than the first. Summit Entertainment is not a major movie house, but they are smart enough to make improvements and keep moving forward. BTW, I’m a 46 yo English teacher, mother, grandmother, and by no means one of the screamy ridiculous Twi-teens that have to buy everything Twilight. And I do not like Robert Pattinson portraying Edward.
I agree ..The first movie was horrible,the second is better, and with any luck they will continue to improve. I am a 23 year old english major, and I love the books.The story is beautiful.I am a huge fan of the whole Twilight phenomenon.My love is for the story and how each character is portrayed.Whether or not they are being portrayed by good looking people does not matter to me. Just seeing it brought to life on the big screen is a huge treat.
I do not like how the fans have been stereo typed as “fat,ugly, pagan teens” or “desperate old housewives”.Though so many do live up to it.Honestly though,who really cares what others think.Money talks.And as long as we loyal fans will continue to pour into the theater they will continue to make our favorite books into films.
“They’ll bite if they want to score some girls”
I hope you are joking.I’ve seen the majority of the legal age twilighters and they aren’t anything I would want to stick my penis in;not that the teenbopper girl are any better looking.Talk about a Dog and Pony show
“It will break some records, but I expect it to falter after two weeks because the male demographic, forgive the pun, just won’t bite.”
It was the female demographic that supported the first film, to the tune of almost $400 million. If the guys stay away again, the film will do just fine from all the girls and women who see it multiple times.
Harry potter actually broke Dark Knights midnight preview showing record this year. It than finished with “only” 58mil opening day.
So Twilight is a prequel now? How does that work?
I thought the movie was good. I’m a huge Twilight fan but THE HYPE IS WITH THE BOOKS PEOPLE ! Hate all you want but if you don’t know why it’s so popular it’s because of the books.
The Twilight series isn’t about the hot boys or vampires. IT’S REALLY ABOUT THE LOVE STORY and I hate how people on here don’t get it.
AMEN
Oh, it’s about the LOVE STORY? Here I thought it was about Vampires and Werewolves…oops. Thanks for clearing that up.
Obviously, you have not read the books….. It is a love triangle that just happens to have vampires and shape shifters (which appear to be werewolves) as main characters.
There’s vampires and werewolves but that’s not what draws most of the fans to loving Twilight. IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LOVE STORY. Others opinions might differ but for the MOST PART IT’S ABOUT THE LOVE STORY.
While I have to admit the hype *is* about the books, I don’t see how any of it- the novels, the movies, whatever, deserve so much attention. From either the haters or the lovers. The books, and the movies, aren’t bad. They aren’t good, either. The haters should put down their pitchforks and go home and the fans should stop being so **** sensitive.
I agree 100%. That’s what people don’t get…I mean, I LOVE the Underworld movies, they are awesome, I love to rewatch Interview with a vampire. I even occasionally like to rewatch the Blade movies, but this story is great because it is a Romeo and Juliet type story. In fact it typifies Romeo and Juliet to the point that Meyers has almost ripped off the whole he thinks she’s dead so he will kill himself angle. Glad they don’t die of course, but you know what I mean. Just watch people. This is going to be bigger than anyone can possibly imagine and then it will get even bigger than that, because all the hold-outs will want to eventually see what all the hype is REALLY about so then they will dole out their money to see it as well. That’s not even counting all the crazed fans who will go back time and again to see it at the theaters. I’ve watch my Twilight DVD too many times to count. I know I will see New Moon more than once in the theaters and then be antsy until it comes out on DVD.
The next target for New Moon: $67,165,092. That’s the Dark Knight’s opening day record gross (as well as 1-day and Friday record). Congrats to Summit and the filmmakers. Like ‘em or not, we are in the middle of a cultural phenomenon.
went today and was suprised at how many guys were watching, definately 50/50….loved it and ant wait for eclipse now. back again tonight to watch again this time with some male family members.
I can’t stand this Twilight thing, yet my husband really wants to go. What the…? Bizarre doesn’t come close to it.
I don’t believe this statement, sorry. You and a few others sound like employees of Summit hawking this movie.
Not really… I went to see it yesterday with my 21 yo daughter thinking my husband would not want to go. I called him at work while on the way to the theater and he surprised me by saying that he would like to see it because the wolf transforming part looked cool.
My husband went with me and was prepared to tolerate it, but ended up liking it too. The theater was packed!!!! If you haven’t read the books do it NOW!!! It is about the Love story!
I went to see the movie and I have to saay that I enjoyed it. It was a heart warming love story that was for sheer entertainment.For once a teen can stare at a screen and admire how beautiful both Edward and Jake are. Now of course, Tom Cruise and Ben Aflack are hot but teenage girls need someone closer to their own age. Its just easier to day dream about.I also have to be completey honest and admit that Bella’s acting is terrible and the graphics arnt that great.Its easy to say that the books blow the movie out of the water.
i don’t think so… JUST PRESS RELEASE! No official number yet! 22.2M is hard to bet… if it can then congrats NM!
I weep for the future.
Oh yes, indeed! Brace yourself! For the next five or more years the movie-going public will be inundated with cheap-jack clones of this cheap-jack movie. I, too, weep for the future of the movies. Goodbye movies for adults, artistic movies, and intelligent movies — what few there were. Hello crap movies for imbeciles, morons and idiots
How is this any different than any other crappy movie these release in the past.
There will still be good movies coming, you just got to look for them. A lot of good Foreign flicks out there too.
This movie will break the biggest records EVER! It’s like a virus…everyone will get infected with this mania!!!
I can’t wait to see the results on MONDAY.
Expect all the Dark Knight fanboys to start attacking and debunking and excuse-making if New Moon tops its first day and weekend take. Their lives and self-esteem are ridiculously wrapped up in that egregiously overrated movie.
I’m a Dark Knight fan-boy and I’m not attacking or excuse making. It make the money then great, I’m happy cinema is finally focusing on females. I’m fine with that. What I’m not fine with is people comparing this garbage to the likes of Dark Knight. And for you think it is overrated then I ask what made you think so? It was a great story that was grounded in reality. And by that I mean what happens in it would actually happen. The hero doesn’t get the girl, doesn’t really get to save the day and becomes the villain. That alone is ballsy. How many other blockbuster style movies do you know that do something like that?
And to address the garbage comment. Horrible director, horrible acting, horrible base. The love story is what sells it, fine. But the love story is boring and the dialogue is worse than that in the Star Wars prequels. Artistically it is the worst thing so far this year. And asking for entertainment value out of it from that is something others should think about.
It should have just stayed a book and not been made a movie.
You’re right – The Dark Knight is overrated. Just look at the 94% of critics who LOVED it on rottentomatoes. Or the BILLION dollars people spent in theaters. Or the current 10 Best Pic nominations and the discussions on how The Dark Knight’s snub was part of the reason.
But, to be fair, the “Twilight” franchise has Oscar-nominated writers, directors, and actors on-board, right? Wait – that was The Dark Knight, too.
To Jon, I have only issue with your post: It should never have been a book. Vampires do not glitter. They do not drink the blood of animals because they’re “reformed.” AND THEY DON’T SAY “WHAT IF I’M THE BAD GUY?” THEY ARE. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN BAD GUYS. SINCE BRAM STOKER.
Now I have to go back to my book about crime-fighting Mummies and the woman who falls in love with them.
If it beats the three day I will lose my faith in humanity
Because people enjoy a movie? If your faith in humanity is that shallow, I fear for you.
5 day anyone?
this could not have happened to a worse group of producers. scum of the earth…not mooradian, he’s A-OK.
You shouldn’t throw stones, my friend. Wyck Godfrey is a good person and a great mentor who puts his all into his work.
Well all I can say is the industry always underestimates the power of the tween girl… along with them come the mothers/fathers/young men trying to impress. The yong girls are your hottest selling demographic and the most loyal (Hannah Montana.. *cough*)… who else waits in line for four days to get a “good” spot near the Red carpet at the premier! Crazy! I never waited that long in line for my favorite football team in College and when I did only a few hours Tops!!!
Also, most underestimate how many times these girls will return to see it as well! They just can’t get enough of the sappy Romeo+Juliet, love triangle stuff!! To me it just cries desperation!! But, if its lining my pockets I will give all they can get! Bring on more crappy/indie vampire/human love for them to bite into!
congratulations greg mooradian for seeing the movie’s potential when it was a manuscript!
So kids are going to midnight shows on a school night? Shows where our priorities are.
I can think of a lot worse ways for teenagers to spend their time
What is this 1950? Not everyone has to wake up to a 3 mile walk through the snow to a rough day at school followed by work to help the family. I think they’ll be fine staying up a little later to watch a movie release. Like the other guy said you make it sound like they’re out snorting lines of meth.
This franchise will obviously have an expiration date. But apparently it ain’t 2009. I wonder how the next movie will do after another six months of franchise overexposure in the middle of the summer.
Well, considering there are still 2 more books out there, one already made into a movie (Eclipse), the hype, as you call it will go on for a while. Might as well get used to it for a while.
I went last night and was pleasantly surprised at how good the movie was. the lines were HUGE, 6 showing of it at 12:01. A LOT of guys were there, and many girls will see this again and again and again. This is Titanic on a much much bigger level.
Who says chick flix don’t make cash…awesome!
They do make cash. It’s just the awful ones (Bride Wars,Ghosts of Girlfriends Past) that make cash while the good ones (500 DoS) become art house hits at best.
It’s probably because women aren’t an audience and don’t go to the movies. They’re all pent up with their movie dollars waiting to explode.
So many stupid teenagers and cougars with lack of sex, it’s not even funny.
ALL YOU HATERS CAN SHUT IT!!
WOMEN RULE THE BOX OFFICE! STOP BEING SUCH SEXIST HATERS!!!!
I actually take your comment to be kind of sexist, too. I’m not hating the movie because it’s fan-base is female skewed, not at all. I’m happy that Hollywood is trying to reach out and finally expand to the female demographic. What I’m hating on in this movie is that it just sucks. It’s horrible artistically and entertainingly. It offers nothing new and it doesn’t deserve to make as much money as it is. Simple as that.
WHOA! You seriously need to lighten up! What in the world does this have to do with sexism? People are allowed to have opinions that differ from yours. After all, it’s only a movie for heaven’s sake. I think it’s probably one of the dumbest stories in recent memory that has been this popular, and it seriously dumbs down and twists the nature of vampires from the original Dracula story; but hey, if adults want to blow their hard-earned money obsessing over fluff and stuff, it’s no big deal to me. Being a woman, however, I do take issue with women throwing around the charge of “sexism” without serious reason. Get a grip!
I’m surprised no one has pointed out that Dark Knight and the Harry Potter films opened in the summer, when kids didn’t have school on Friday, so it doesn’t seem a proper comparison. Kids are in school today, so I’d think that would drive the midnight numbers up and lower the Friday take greatly. I’m wondering if they’ll make it up over the weekend.
I’m conflicted between wanting girl-power to blow the roof off existing stats, and cringing because it’s from a book/movie series that is ultimately incredibly dis-empowering to girls.
That’s a very good point about the releases in the summer and this in the fall. I don’t expect it to bump up in the weekend, and no one else does. It’s failing to appeal to anyone outside of its core. Men aren’t going to go to it because it’s female lead is not someone that can sell a movie. I point out Adventureland as proof. The Messengers wasn’t much of a success either. So, point is it will probably start off strong, but like most of the men in the age range of the girls interested in this film, they will finish fast.
Also, I was thinking the exact same thing. I’m all for the female box office power, but not when it’s based off a book that has a female character really weak and pathetic and stupid like she is. It really is kind of depressing.
Sexism? Have we really become this PC?
New Moon, by any standards, is garbage. That’s the end of it: Poorly-written, directed, acted, paced, etc. But you already knew that. GI Joe is also garbage. And you already knew that. New Moon gets all these cries of sexism because it reflects society’s strange need to conjure an issue out of nothing. When 2012 rakes in $65 million, everyone cries because it’s such a stupid movie. When New Moon opens huge, people cheer because Hollywood is reaching out to females.
But is this really the man you want, ladies: A moping, over-dramatic and downright insensitive emo kid? Or how about the aggressive-yet-hunky Jacob? Both are complete stereotypes. Bella’s a color-coated piece of cardboard too, but I digress.
Hollywood didn’t make this movie because they wanted to “hit the neglected female quadrant” or because they want to exploit women by selling them crap: They want to exploit teenyboppers who can and will pay for anything. This has nothing to do with gender, except that the series appeals more to females. But trying to make some sexist issue out of it one way or the other is stupid.
The movie sucks. That’s obvious. But it’s not an issue of sexism: It’s an issue of young people and their overbearing stupidity.
wow ! alot of hatred. my daughter got me to read them. i just turned 51. while from a male perspective i think bella’s a flirt and a dope. if she cant see what she is causing. i asked my daughter about it. she called me a sexist and laughed as i did. the books themselves could have been done in three. other than that give the girls a break. all girls have giant hearts and raging hormones. as the for the movie. we went and saw it. the only thing good about it was it got to the end faster than the book!
there wouldnt be a sexist discussion if fan boys hadnt opened it. People in the media and men are always complaining that the Twilight series are only targeted for females and its stupid. If you guys hadnt opened the sexist discussion, we wouldnt have this conversation in the first place.
why would you say it’s incredibly dis-empowering to girls? have you even READ the books. It’s all about Bella’s strength and how ultimately she saves EVERYONE. Come on, doesn’t that sound dis-empowering? I think people who have not read the series thru should keep their comments to themselves until they do.
ugh i was forced to go to this piece of dunk with my girlfriend and i would have walked out if i was with my buddies. Come on this is a joke i have seen some straight to video movies that were better than this. Wake up people.
wow this movie is going to SUCK i hate HATE these fan girls they are so stupid i want to know what the hell is so good abut this shit. the dark knight made 64 million in a day also it wasn’t released worldwide only in the united states and Canada oh and will new moon more than 600 million because the dark knight made 1 billion and harry potter 6 made 900 million new moon isnt a good movie the dark knight is it won really awards i dont know how anybody can like this abomination of a film the worst book to turn into a movie is my perspective
People who are complaining about the intelligence of the “twi-hards” – here is what American youth REALLY looks like. Discuss.
Love you!!
Lia, can you make your post more coherent? Your post is giving me a headache to read and figure out
Dark Knight was an awesome movie. Harry Potter is great. But both of those have a more limited base of people willing to go watch. Only the dollars can be compared apples to apples. A grown-up dark good versus evil film, a magic-based fantasy, and a romance with paranormal elements can never be compared apples to apples. I watched all three and enjoyed them for what they were. Get over it. Females (and some males) of all ages love a love story.
I love the Dark Knight – my favorite movie of the past few years – and I want to see it hold onto that record (for whatever credibility holding it lends to the movie).
But as someone who is not all interested in the Twilight phenomenon, I am in awe of the pull this franchise has. Good for them.
Vampires are such a rage. I can remember when Dracula came out.
There seems to be a thing where some women are very attracted to these blood suckers.
No, this film will NEVER get any (straight) male viewership. Date night movies are meant to suggest that the stumbling, bumbling guy who *BECOMES* a hero just might … sorta look like a girl’s date. This is why the First Act heroes are often stumbling, or bumbling, or are not really on the ball.
Twilight and the sexy-Vampire movies are all about two or more guys who ALREADY have it all together: dominance, physical power, intimidation of other men, fighting over some girl.
Titanic did a LOT of money, but no one tried to do a sequel (in general approach, i.e. romance for women). Because the money was steady, rather than a gusher up-front (I expect Sunday to really drop down) and sales of video were not very good. Men + Women are still the winning formula with men in the drivers seat.
Indeed the danger is that “movies are gay” could break out among men the way Broadway, literature in general, and television basically repelled male participation.
[Has anyone seen those Twi-girls? The distaff version of the Star Wars guys Triumph made fun of on Conan years ago.]
A lot of people are seeing it because it’s a “so bad it’s good” kind of film. I know I did.
New Moon is just incompetent on so many levels that it becomes a comedy classic.
Agreed, Ann.
But if this proves the appeal of vampire movies, does this mean there will be a Sookie Stackhouse movie soon?
Indubitably…
You mean aside from the television show?
The studios (Everyone in town besides Summit, basically) that passed on Twilight must be really peeved at missing out on such a franchise.
I would be very impressed if even ONE of the studio readers who read and passed on this celluloid fort knox comes forward, in this thread, and explains his reasoning.
All I can say is Holy Shit!!!! I knew it would be big, but not this big. What do you guys think the opening weekend will be now? Tracking seemed to put in the $105 million neighboorhood, but I think that it will now annihilate those numbers. $130mil?? Seems possible.
Who cares if it doesn’t get straight male viewership? We don’t need you. You’ve been ruling the box office for years, and now it’s time to move over for the rest of us.
So what the future of Hollywood, if any? 300 films a year that Lifetime should be running instead? And honey, if you want to be the loser gal in this film you are welcome to it. I am worried about the wpmen who will follow, who have to fight to re-empower themselves after shit like this has poisoned their minds.
Yes because all the Transformers redux films they keep shelling out are so much better for women. It’s not like films are going to get any better, bad movies will always rein with a few good ones along the way. I don’t even like this Twilight crap, but I’m still glad for the victory since Hollywood ignores the female audience in films.
As I said, Twilight has a very enthusiastic fan base, and that fan base will show up big in its opening weekend. I have no doubt that the fan base could, with multiple repete viewings, push the overall domestic take to $230 million. But, in order to crack the top 50 all-time domestic box office a film MUST be mass market. It needs to draw beyond its fan base. Currently, a film needs to make over $251 million domestic to make the all-time top 50 and ‘New Moon’ won’t do it…period. All the Harry Potter films are in the top 50 all-time as are the Star Wars films and Pirates of the Carribean films. Twilight didn’t make the list…and ‘New Moon’ won’t either…it doesn’t have a broad enough appeal outside its fan base, so you certainly will win the weekend battle, but New Moon won’t stack up all-time with the mass market films and as I said before…I’ll take Avatar over New Moon for biggest movie this holiday season.
OK, how can I put this to all of the Twilight haters (including the Harry Potter chick who plays Luna Lovegood who also hated on the Twilight books earlier this year) AHHHHHHHHHHHH HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! You thought this was a “fly-by-night” tween thing. Get a clue people. The theater I was in barely had any teens. It was all adults and it was sold out!!! What you haters #UFAIL to understand is that the Twilight Saga isn’t some “teen” phenomenon. Females of all ages love these books!! The books were marketed by the publisher to the teen audience but Stephanie initially wrote the books for women in the early 30’s. So things were toned down for the teen audience. But guess what? The movies will get darker and sexier for a more adult female audience. Darker and sexier means more money!!!! You haters thought we Twilighters were going to crawl away after the first movie. Twilight is huge and when you fanboys and female KStew/RPattz haters finally open your eyes to reality, you’ll see that we rule! Dark Knight? Potter? We’re thru w/these guys, LOL!! Female romance stories rule!! Keep your action films. BTW, the wolf special effects are amazing. They’re done by Tippet studios for goodnes sakes. He has more Oscars than Mr. American Werewolf in London, DUH!! LOL!! So, even this article tried to hate saying that there will most likely be a substantial drop off in ticket sales. Guess what, who cares. It’s going to crush all kinds of box office records and all of you haters can kiss the Twi-hards, Summit’s, and the Cast and Crew of The Twilight Saga’s a$$!! (My apologies to Stephanie Meyers because she doesn’t condone such language from her fans but I had to go there).
That post is filled with such intelligence, such insight, such absolute brilliance delivered in such a clean, concise and adult manner, I just realized what I’m missing out on. Clearly Twilight should be on the reading list at Harvard and Yale, as the complexity and language puts it on a level with Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, if indeed it is fair to compare these two obscure Russian hacks to the absolute genius of Stephanie Meyers.
Darker? Sexier? More money? My God, when’s the next one due out? When I first read that the books were written for adult women, I thought: what sad, desperate adult woman would read this book and fantasize about such unrealistic events? But after reading on, I realized that they are only read by adults because of the deep philosophical complexity and these women, rather than being sad and lonely, are simply far more intelligent and appreciative of true art than I could ever hope to become.
Thank you. For enlightening me. I cannot express my gratitude sufficiently.
Just because people rush to see a movie/buy a book, doesn’t mean it’s actually GOOD. Hello “Transformers”?
You’d probably double the audience (if it catered to both men and women) if it were good.
So don’t throw you’re stupid “We made so much money = It MUST be better then” B.S. this way. This has nothing to do with quality.
Sorry for the misspelling. Hit an extra key. Kind of tired from the midnight show and going to the Twilight show and seeing New Moon 2 times after that. That should be Stephanie Meyer not Meyers. Anywho….Twi-hards are laughing at the haters and that’s all that matters. We’re kicking tail and you can’t stand it, LOL!!
actually it’s stephenie meyer. Twi-hard.
$67,165,092.
See that girls? That’s the opening day gross your shitty movie franchise will NEVER BE ABLE TO TOUCH.
The Dark Knight >>>>>>>>>>>>>> any tween fangirl shit, any day!
Yeah, we see your $67M. So what.
Right now the estimates for New Moon’s opening day are between $70M to $80M.
New Moon waved at that number on its way well past it. *snickers*
I think some people will see this film! I think other people will not see this film! I think this film will make an amount of money over a period of time! That amount will represent either more or less money than another film made during a similar period of time!
Anytime a film gets people excited it’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned. I hate the transformers series, but I still get giddy at the sight of people standing in long lines for any movie. I think it was Spielberg who said when one film does well, it’s good for everyone in the industry. people go to the theater, and if they have a good time, they’ll do it again. they see ads for other movies and they support the local theaters which need all the business they can get. Besides, Twilight is harmless, so I say let the fans have their fun. for all you haters out there, stop your bitching and go support a film you do like.
.. wow .. this is the first sane comment I’ve seen ..
never discount hormonal teens or hormonal 30 something women (the most tragic species of twilight fan).
sure the movie is terrible, it’s pathetic and says alot the taste level of some female moviegoers, i.e. in their butts when it comes to movies – this just an observation based on how a very bad film can garner so OMG comments from women regardless of how utterly crappy, bold & the beautiful/banal esque dialogue, sad little emos with their shirts off etc.
this whole series is the filmic equivalent of a jonas brothers album and about the same quality level as well.
go girls, keep it up with loving really bad films, sex and the city, twlight, ha ha, really very sad.
patric, you are a douche
Actually Patric, what’s sad is that you don’t realize that your post says a hell of a lot more truth about YOU than it does about anything else. Women issues, much?
I am 42, mother of 4, not fat, and happily married. I am not lonely. Rarely, do I go to “chick flicks”, ocassionally watch one on DVD. The movies I go to the theater are action, suspense, (some this year: 2012 & Transformers 2, in the last couple of months)I watch NFL (Saints) and NBS (Spurs). I read several books per month (murder, suspense, Koontz, John Sandford, James Patterson etc). I have never liked vampire movies or books. I bought Twilight, the book and the DVD for my 12 year old. Was doing dishes while the movie played, had no desire to watch it, but as with any movie my kids watch, I heard bits and pieces. After the movie was over, I watched it from the beginning, then I borrowed the book from my child. Within a week I went to the bookstore and bought the 2nd and within the month bought 3 & 4. Rarely do I buy hardback, I usually buy paperback and lots of used, but this I bought new and in hardback. Most books that are made into movies are not even close to the book, these 2 are. (They always ruin Dean Koontz books, example “Phantoms”) Each Twilight books is better than the last. I am not a romantic, and I do not think the boys in the movie are that cute, I prefer older men (Mark Harmon, Harrison Ford etc) I don’t think any young guys are attractive. So, no I am not a fat, lonley housewife looking at young boys to dream about. This is a good story, one that I never would have bought if not for my kids. Maybe I like it because bad is trying to be good. Books and movies are for entertainment, so please stop labeling me for enjoying something. I stood in line with my kids to see Transformers 2, because of the special effects. That movie is so… much more realstic… I hate Sex and The City, i tried watching once for about 15 minutes. The only “chick flick” that I have seen in the last year is “The Proposal” on DVD, and only because I like Sandra Bullock. And I intend to see “The Blind Side” because I like football and Sandra Bullock. It is unfair for people (men) to judge all women to be fat and lonley because they enjoy a book and or movie. Or to assume that we only like it because of the boys who play in it. By the way, I saw “New Moon” on opening day Friday with my 22 year old daughter and on Sunday with my 11 and 13 yr old. Both times there were women and girls of all ages and lots of men, (some in thier 60″s+) Are the men judging us so insecure in their life and relationships to be so jealous of a movie? My husband does not judge people for enjoying movies, but then again, he is happy and secure with his life and marriage. Grow up and quite judging people.
I’m lol-ing at the insecure male blogger dorks who are so visibly discomforted by the success of this girl-driven phenomenon. Obviously these misogynist cretins only appreciate seeing dopey fanboy franchises succeed if the the tickets are primarily bought by people with testicles. Newsflash: Twilight is just as lame as the properties you losers habitually champion.
Who cares about New Moon – we have all known it will be huge for a year now, no story here – YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY for Blind Side !!!!!!!
Sandra Bullock is back this year with a BANG!
She had her all-time record opening week this summer and she could potentially even top that this week. In November. Against the biggest movie this year.
The 70 % on RottenTomatoes is good enough for her to get recognized. She got good to great reviews and with this 70% the film itself won’t take her down, either. It will be a massive b.o. hit with probably good legs (so its a sure thing for 100 million) so that’s a plus, too.
Oh, my point ??? We might have just found ourselves this year’s Erin Brockowich-kind-of-best actress nominee/winner !!!
She has a lot going for her
- huge movie star (especially this year after The Proposal)
- solid reviews for the film
- raves for her performance
- massive box office
- long overdue (she has been an A-list star for 15 years now, never been nominated and despite the accusations of her being one-note, some of her works beg to differ – Crash, Infamous, A Time To Kill, 28 days)
P.S. Before anyone would mention it, yes All about Steve was bad, but it still made considerable money AND shouldn’t spoil her two other huge movies this year.
Wow, what a weekend.
- New moon overperformed its already high expectations
- Blind Side basically doubled its expectations
- 2012 didn’t crush under these two and actually held extremely well compared to other movies in its genre
- The Christmas Carol is still going strong AND its season – December – didn’t even began (I think Polar Express kind of 6-7 multiples can be achieved, that would mean around 200 million domestic total)
- Precious could easily be this year’s Slumdog Millionaire awards- and B.O.-wise, the awards season hasn’t even begun yet and it already has a really good and real shot at 100 million, well-done
- Planet 51 brought in decent numbers especially with competition like the ones above
I think the Twilight success is great. Finally, women can no longer point at retarded teen boy entertainment and go all “superior” on men. It’s perfect in any one of those “discussions”.
“Wah Wah, you’re not mature, all those comic book nerdy things, Wah Wah, and what about the sport shit you watch, women are so much more intelligent and emotionally mature, and Wah Star Wars Wah!”
“Really? You really want to go there? Okay… Twilight Saga ”
Boom. Debate over.
One should call it Stephenie’s Law.
(Obviously, the standard reply then is very likely to be “then you are going to soooo not laid, boy”. Pfffft. That only works when one is below 20, and the man’s head is below his waistline all the time)
Wasn’t surprised at all at the success of “The Blind Side”, I work for a theater chain and besides “New Moon”, people have been calling about TBS for weeks.
Wasn’t the Entertainment industry declaring not so long ago (week before “Sex and the City”) that women couldn’t open a movie. I roll my eyes toward the Twilight series, am a Batman fan, but have to smile at these numbers. Gotta love that all the studios didn’t see the potential in Twilight.
Also, I saw an advanced screening of The Blind Side on Monday and really enjoyed it. Glad it got the A+. Its a rare crowd-pleaser and will do well. No surprise with that one.
The truth is that this demographic is who always make the bucks that last. Teenage girls, horny lonely mothers. That’s who was seeing Titanic twenty times. Internationally those Japanese secretaries who have nothing to do after work, all they see is movies.
And I’m not knocking it either. It’s been proven time and again that you can have a love story that pulls in that desired demographic and then pretty much set it around any period or premise. Titanic, Gone With The Wind, Dances With Wolves, Cleopatra, and now Twilight.
The problem is that Twilight is garbage.
You mention “teenage girls, horny lonely mothers” – heh, heh. You’re kidding right? You are aware of the 99% of Hollywood movies for overamped horny boys and horny men wherein men are the heroes and Barbie-doll-fantasy-plastic-surgerized women spend the whole time in skimpy outfits usually waiting to be rescued and/or waiting around so those heroes have someone to screw?
One glance at the Sherlock Holmes trailer gives you the idea: Robert Downey and Jude Law in 3-piece suits, out to save the world, while Rachel McAdams proves she looks good in lingerie? True, it’s Guy Ritchie, but it’s also the norm.
And yet I’ll agree, many women are drawn to a good love story. And yes, the problem is that any woman who thinks this is a “good” love story probably has the self-esteem of a saltine cracker. So much for girl power. ***bangs head on desk***
ann, sweetheart do a little reasearch, McAadams character in Sherlock Holmes is a femme fetal type, she beats the crap out of half the guys in the movie including Sherlock Holmes. And yes Twilight is an interesting love story, please save your feminism stuff for lesbo rallies.
i guess that i have self-esteem of a saltine cracker. I loved the movie and will see it again and i will buy it when it comes out on dvd
Me too! The movie is meant to entertain, not bring meaning to life. My 13 year old daughter and I saw it over the weekend, are going again tomorrow afternoon, and then once more with a school friend. My husband also wants to see it, by the way…
This is great news. Hit films help the entire industry. I’m sure all the film companies who laid off hundreds of people are now making so much money that they’ll start hiring and financing again, right?
“…So Batman was beaten by the Twilight sequel’s vampires and werewolves which won’t sit well with the superhero-loyal moviegoing community….”
really????? news to me.
what kind of foolish comment is that? we’re the ones making this movie a monster hit.
pathetic statement….do you even know any “superhero-loyal” fans?
Psht!
You know this article on New Moon is very incorrect. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which is 10 times better than fucking twilight, grossed $58,000,000 domestically on the first day, which means it grossed about $125,000,000 worldwide on the first day. So suck on that Twilight and stephanie meyer, who sucks beyond belief.
I also hate those “based on a true story” movies when they are supposed to be touching but really they only want to make money, and i hate how just because a famous actress satrs in a true-story movie, everyone immediately syas she should win an Oscar. Oscars should not work that way, favoring shitty movies like that
Dude you need to see the headlines. Nikki was just reporting for the US gross for one day. If you look at her previous articles, New Moon opened in some countries since last wednesday and it opened this Friday only in the US.
Summit hasnt released how much it grossed internationally yet and there were only about 25 countries (correct me if I a wrong) who released it internationally as of now. Some areas will soon follow thought. But if you bother to care read some articles here, New Moon also opened big the first day in Australia, France, Italy and Spain. I also heard that it broke midnight screenings in the UK and ireland too.
We all know that everyone who wanted to see this movie saw it Friday. Virtually ZERO Men want to see this film, so that cuts it’s potential audience in half right there. I love that these days a movie’s success in hollywood is only how good it does opening weekend. Not how it stands the tests of time. The “Twilight” thing will be mocked twenty years from now in “I Love the Oughts”
It’s time for those still in denial to give it up: it’s over, Twilight is a phenom. All the films New Moon is matching (or exceeding) ALL OVER THE WORLD all had grosses between 900 MIL to 1.1 BIL. That’s probably what New Moon will do as well.
Next week is a holiday, the film doubles its screenings abroad and you still have tween girls watching this movie over and over again. I have a feeling that the film will hold strong enough.
It’s okay that a movie you don’t like is becoming a huge box office phenom. I’m sure it’s nothing personal jnow. But I definitely think you’re allowing your personal bias taint your analysis of what the film will do at the box office.
@Oh Please:
$900 billion for New Moon? You’ve gotta be kidding me. The guy who said it won’t make $230 million domestic is in denial, but $300 million is probably the horizon. And if so, the WW total will not exceed $600 million: Twilight made 50% of its WW gross in the US, so whatever NM makes stateside, don’t expect to see more than the same amount plus ten percent elsewhere. But $1 billion? “Oh please” is right.
actually, I really want to see it but can’t until sunday afternoon. I had plans to see it with a couple of my girlfriend (all of us are 30ish, yes) and my husband said “oh, well, I kind of wanted to see it too.” So instead I have a date to see it with him and my 10 yr old daughter can chaperone us. Us horny 30 something year old women need a little supervision lest we lose our minds and start trying to do it right there in the theater with our husbands after getting a peek at rob and taylor, LOL!!!!
Did you see the lines for this movie? It wasn’t 100% females. Don’t even try to say that. I saw fathers, boyfriends and yes, even little boys in the theater seats.
Finally a movie that tells the truth about vampires! LOL.
Lightening in a bottle. Not easy to do. Easy when it happens.
Biggest world wide gross ever…
Arthur you are kidding right ? No Twilight movie will ever come close to Titanic’s worldwide gross.
The worst part of Twilight’s success is the lowering of the bar for teenage fiction. People can spend their money however they want, but unfortunately the success of this drivel will only mean more drivel yet to come.
Add to that all of the work it will take to undo the damage this crap will do to the tastes of young people. It is like arguing with someone who insists, with all of their heart, that McDonald’s is the pinnacle of culinary achievement.
I’ve not seen either of the Twilight movies and don’t plan to. Although I admit I did read the first book (way before it caught fire with the public) and based on that one book I can understand why it’s attracted such a strong following.
That being said, I am rooting for the Twilight films to do well because it’s a series that’s being powered by a female majority. Plenty have been written about why recent films directed at women and young girls haven’t done well. Maybe with the success of Twilight it might change that. I’m hoping Hollywood will take notice and hopefully produce more and better films for the female audience.
Will the success of the Twilight films mean a return to the great women’s films of the past, well, maybe not. But having movies for the ladies do well isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Thank you for the sane and non-bias comment. After all the whining comments, your statement is like a breath of fresh air.
The worst part of Twilight’s success is the lowering of the bar for teenage fiction. People can spend their money however they want, but unfortunately the success of this drivel will only mean more drivel yet to come.
Add to that all of the work it will take to undo the damage this crap will do to the tastes of young people. It is like arguing with someone who insists, with all of their heart, that McDonald’s is the pinnacle of culinary achievement.
To whomever the women was that said we were “Sexist” because of we disliked new moon, haven’t you realaized that Twilight is onto it’s self sexist?
EDWARD CULLEN
I’ve killed people before.
ISABELLA SWAN
It does not matter.
EDWARD CULLEN
I wanted to kill you at first. I’ve never wanted a human’s blood so much, before.
ISABELLA SWAN
I trust you.
Any self respecting woman would end the relationship right there.No need to mention how he broods and tells his love intrest to fuck off while he goes and broods somewhere else, making her want to commit suicide, sounds like a movie kids should see
lol…you fundamentally do not understand women
this type of movie isn’t for me but I am laughing at nerds who think movies with men who run around at night in rubber underwear is great art but some moony girl romance is HORRIBLE AWFUL TRASH…and the anguish because it beat your box office record…hilarious
I’m happy it made tons of money. Guys shouldn’t have all the fun with genre. Girls need their Twilight, it is kind of like a rock show for chicks.
I was dragged to it by my GF (and her annoying friends) and it is simply a very bad movie. No gray area, it is just plain bad, terrible cinema. It is more surprising to me that mature women in their 30’s so proudly boast how much they love a film that is such sub par quality. How they dream of being 17 again and this film brings that hope a little closer.
This film is really no better than a Mills&Boone novel and no-one should wear liking this movie as a badge of “honor”. All it does is re-affirm that girls will like ANYTHING if a bunch of EMO guys take their shirts off.
what is with all the HATE?? people are spending money. this is a good thing. the recession is not over, people. we need to those dollars circulating. people obviously enjoy this movie, as the numbers indicated…. so who cares? let them enjoy it. is is hurting anyone? nope.
it’s popular because there is no nudity, graphic violence, or adult language. All this makes it possible for all ages to enjoy. oh yes, and no political or enviornmental views are expressed either making it actually enjoyable.
…more like, making it absolutely vapid. Idiot.
Good thing you can tivo Glenn Beck so you don’t miss it between Sarah Palin’s book signing and your multiple viewings of New Moon.
To you New Wolf haters, So the movie did well, BFD! Get over it, your acting the same way the right wing acted when they lost the election.
Lets face it, women are much more loyal than men are. I saw Star Trek at midnight and it was a trickle of Fanboys waiting to see it, wow, such loyalty. I don’t plan on seeing New Moon but its success is interesting to watch.
Precious goes against the Hollywood pattern of flaunting traditional values. Indeed, it shows that some perverted values (e.g., New Moon), some even honored in some recent Hollywood movies (cf. Michael Meved), or at least not condemned, are deserving of condemnation, condemnation which is provided by the movie Precious. One can expect far fewer to attend that movie. But, contrary to Hollywood’s general wishes and trends, Precious will gain honors, at the very least by Oscar nomination.
Looks like I am in the minority. I am a 74 year old who took her granddaughter to see New Moon last night and we both loved it. Thought the acting, direction, and CGIs were all top notch. We thought Melissa Rosenberg condensed a long book into 2 hours without losing the plot. Lots of eye-candy, good visuals and good music. Hope it continues to do so well. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of actors, crew, etc. Can’t wait to see it again.
No one believes for a second that you’re some 74-yr old grandma posting here, so give us a break, Summit shills. PLANT!!!!
Alright Twi-haters, I will be the first to admit that I hated Twilight. I have a poor opinion of the novel, the writing, the story and the characters. But I have hated many movies that most people seem to think are awesome.
Now let’s face it… The numbers are the numbers. This former Twi-hater admits defeat. However these numbers were created, they clearly herald the beginning of a phenomenon. Therefore I submit to the all glorious Twilight, and I will try my best to see what is good in it.
Tia — Yes films DO need to generate Straight Male audiences to make a lot of money. Women don’t love but will put up with Iron Man or Transformers, because guys like them and they don’t mind them as a date night movie.
Guys will not see Twilight. Period. And cut any DVD/rental/rights sales in half, with that stuff.
Titanic made a TON of money. Ever wonder WHY no one tried to duplicate it (romantic period piece with hunky guy aimed at girls/women?) Because the money was not enough.
Color me less than impressed with the box office of Blind Side. The Grudge (US remake) did $40 million its first weekend. Same with the animated Christmas Carol.
All the hard-core fangirls of this movie will probably already showed up Fri/Sat, expect a big drop-off Sun and the following week something like the first Hulk movie’s drop-off, i.e. around 70% or so.
Its simple demographics — there are about 25 million or so (White) tweens, teens, and Moms. That’s it. Twilight can make money, but not Star Wars type money (it remains the all-time most profitable movie inflation adjusted) because guys will not see it.
Female-repellent horror/slasher movies are capped too (because women find them icky). The way gross-out comedies are as well. Last time I checked movies were still a mass audience and that means both men and women.
Probably the dumbest Hollywood analysis I’ve ever read. You make me hate the internet.
Girl Power!!!
The Twilight “Saga” won’t have the long-term staying power of other movie sagas like Star Wars, the Batman series, Indiana Jones, etc.
Why?
BECAUSE THE MOVIES ARE NO GOOD. Sure, the audience is rabid and frequent (and skews heavily female across a wide range of ages). But consider the following. Men (least of all between the ages of 18 and 30) certainly don’t love–or even like–this movie. And so five, ten, fifteen years from now, the movies won’t hold up as well…especially when the previously rabid audience will look back at the movies and say, “You know, when I was a kid, I really liked ‘Twilight’….” in clear recognition that the movies aren’t any good.
And I think you’ll see some backlash when “Eclipse” comes out in June 2010 and DEFINITELY when “Breaking Dawn” comes out whenever Summitt figures out how to make that monstrosity of a book. Records are being broken now because non-target audiences (aka all males) are either curious about Twilight or feel compelled to go see it lest they feel left out for not having done so.
A cautionary example: “Matrix: Reloaded”. Opened huge….and then “Revolutions” came out six months later. And tanked, relative to the other two movies’ performances . Why? Because both movies sucked, interest had faded, and outside audiences hadn’t been roped in via anything other than interest or peer pressure (”I can’t be the only person who hasn’t seen it!!”)
It’s a fad.
What a misogynistic prick you are. Just because it doesn’t appeal to men, that means it won’t last? The reason why Matrix Revolutions tanked was because the fanboys thought the movies sucked and hated Matrix Reloaded. New Moon delivered to its fanbase, everyone’s happy with the result.
Studios continually make movies that try to draw in the fanboy crowd and they don’t always lead to success. I mean, look at Speedracer and Watchmen. When there’s an actual movie targeted towards women and it does phenomenally well, you feel the need to bash it to smithereens.
Suck on your bitterness and go cry over your Dark Knight Dvd.
As Nikki points out, Cinemascore reported audiences for New Moon gave it an A-, so although you personally (as well as the critics) didn’t like it, there are many paying customers who don’t agree with you. most of the criticisms could easily be applied to the books as well, and yet they were best sellers and have a devoted fan base. if people want to write it off as the female fans are just nerds, or horny, or desperate, or all the other shit people on here are spewing, so be it. but anyone who’d like a career reaching female audiences in the entertainment industry, or who presently has one, would be wise to understand what it is that makes so many females respond positively to this story because I know little girls who like it as well as professional women who are not the caricatures being described by the haters on this site.
furthermore, who cares if it’s mostly women and gay men who went to see it (although I’d argue that’s an over statement)? Money is money. opening weekend is everything to a studio because that’s when they get the biggest cut. they could care less where it came from.
Best post on this thread….
Don’t give WB all the credit — Alcon produced and financed The Blindside! Kudos for them!
Let it be recorded here that I predict a $55M Saturday for Twilight.
Let me also go on record here and state that:
- While Twilight is arguably, garbage, because:
— It is a bad movie based off of a bad book;
— It focuses almost entirely on getting Edward and Jacob half-naked;
— It will be the highest grossing film of the year, yet have no presence at the Oscars…
- It is good for the industry because:
— It’s a relatively low budget film that can bring in high returns, and when it comes down to it – making movies like this is about the dollar;
— Despite piracy, the internet, and all other factors – the industry can still make movies that bring people out to the theatres in HOARDS;
— It’s amazing for me, particularly because such a major movie was filmed in Vancouver, and not in LA or some other location;
— Someone has made a series that finally taps into the young female crowd – it’s the Star Wars for girls.
As much as it can’t hold its own against really… ANY… other movies… it’s about the dollars and the crowds. Get them into the theatre, they’ll see advertisements for other movies, and will come back and enjoy other movies. Probably better ones.
Watching this movie was like poking my eyes out with scalding hot knitting needles.
Wait for it….wait for it….I’ll kiss your ‘New Moon’ if this movie beats ‘Avatar’ this holiday season. New Moon is heavily front-loaded and will crash and burn starting Monday…just like Twilight did last year! I predict a 70% drop next weekend.
the movie will fall 65% next weekend. it will have a good saturday becasue summit pushed the pre-sale thing. so no amount of tweeting and texting will really effect it’s saturday numbers.
Taylor Lautner is the breakout star of the year.
I keep reading on message boards that girls/women gasp and scream when he first reveals his abs in the movie.
Saw him on Leno and he came across as very likable.
i went to the midnight showing for moon. it was in 6 theatres at my metroplex. all sold out. what i saw they could have sold out at least 10. as for the movie. the best i can say is it got to the point faster than the book. but besides the teeny boppers (how 70’s) the movie was terribly edited and the 3 volturi guys did not match the book at all. haley as jane was a joke! but every one got their dose and eclipse will come then we can finally get to the last book. which with twilight and breaking dawn were the best of the four. i hope this guy wont direct #4!
This is soft core sex fantasy for adolescent girls, and a slightly more action-filled soap opera for middle aged women (especially since the stars are younger than their grandchildren, oh how naughty and illicit!) Sex(uality) sells–always has, always will, period. Since we as a society expose our kids at younger ages to it, it sells, earlier. While the Senate taxes us to oblivion, ignore the man behind the curtain… and buy buy buy that Taylor doll!!
oh yes, could you Twilight ‘fans’ spell Stephenie Meyer’s name correctly? :/
You’re bringing up the Senate taxing us and spelling errors in a TWILIGHT/NEW MOON discussion? I hope you get some friends.
LOL. some critics have claimed the abstinence message stinks up the franchise and they should knock it off. here, you criticize it for being “soft core sex fantasy”. do you even know what that is? have you even read the books? if showing a guy with his shirt off constitutes “soft core sex”, you’re going to have your hands full railing against the entire entertainment and marketing culture in America, and Twilight pales in comparison to shows shown on network TV in that case. and please spare us your bitching about the senate, this is an entertainment industry website, not the drudge report.
I did myself a favor: I bought the dvd Twilight to watch before I go see New Moon. Just the locations,especially the Italian ones,I like to see. But I saw Blindside today at our local theatre that was packed too. I’m a sucker for real life sports stories by the way; but I’m a fan of vampires. Now get this: Stephanie Meyer,the author now has a comic book about her. And third installment of the series,Eclipse is scheduled for a June release of 2010. I found this out on her website. By the way I did read the first three books Cirque du Freak. Real fun reading. I consider myself of the Anne Rice School of Vampires. But still I’m looking forward to seeing New Moon too.
Though I haven’t seen both films,Twilight and New Moon,I’ll defend them. The reason is simple.people of all ages want escapsim. Listen even I like good fun vampire film. But I’m looking forward to watching Twilight. I browse through some of Steph Meyer’s books which the movie is based. I understand why the teens like them so much. Novels are a way to generate a fanbase. By the way I wouldn’t mine seeing a cinematic version of Maurus which Anne Rice wrote. When it comes to movies I keep a real open mind. In folklore and myth vampires and werewolves have been around a long time.
Only recently saw Twilight, and I was pleasantly surprised; it held together for the first two acts, which is better than most films these days. I won’t be seeing “New Moon” in theaters, but I’ll try to catch it on cable. Looks like Meyers is going to be the new Rollings. The Mormons must be salivating thinking about her “tithing”.
God, most of you people ARE FRIGGIN’ ASSHOLES. Here’s your proof:
1) NEW MOON makes over $100 mil in its FIRST WEEKEND, and you idiots are knocking it for sliding big in the 2nd week? Tell me that in your wildest dreams, you don’t wish YOUR movie make those kind of numbers. You’re pathetic. You’re worse than pathetic.
2) You really, REALLY hated NEW MOON? News to you: THIS MOVIE WASN’T MADE FOR YOU. You dumb shits – it was made for an entirely different target audience & democgraphic – and guess what? It hit its demographic 100% bullseye. You wish in your heart of hearts you could make a movie that attracted its target audience in the same way. YOU NEVER WILL. Compared DIRECTLY to NEW MOON, everything you will EVER do will considered a lesser, poorer financial feat. Suck on that.
3) Who to really hate right now? BRAD WESTON – BRAD WESTON – BRAD WESTON. The former Paramount production chief who turned down TWILIGHT and gave away the entire series. Yep, the man with golden touch, he who knoweth what movies Americans (and the world) want to see next – yeah, Brad (Jerkoff) Weston let the Paramount-MTV contract on TWILIGHT lapse and sent it into turnaround.
He gave away a new tentpole worth over a $$ Billion (and who gives a damn what the critics say, anyway?). Paramount had this film series locked tight in their vaults, and BRAD WESTON gave it away. He didn’t think anyone would want to see it. To all you people who can’t see it plainly for the phenomenom it is:
I hope Mr. Weston becomes the head of your company. And I wish you a merry time at the Unemployment Department within a year.
So people – stop showing your penis envy over a successful movie – even it it’s one you don’t care for. For every LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, there’s the wildly successful TRANSFORMERS, ARMAGEDDON, SHRECK II, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN III, MATRIX RELOADED, RUSH HOUR, NATIONAL TREASURE, KUNG FU PANDA, THE MUMMY RETURNS, STAR WARS I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, SPIDER MAN III, ICE AGE III, etc.
Yeah – you really hate NEW MOON, but you’d defend the movies in the list directly above to the death for their artistic integrity, right?
Get a life. And a brain, while you’re at it.
Definition “Rant”: To speak or write in an angry or violent manner (cf. above post).
Larry B, best post ever.
Well, as far as Twilight goes, nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of young girls.
a fall from 72M to 45M. an almost 30M drop. that’s step. still a lot of money. but step. so i was wrong that all the presales would help the film. it did in some capacity. but apparently the WOM on this film is that it sucks.
@Larry B
The whole saga is crap artistically, esthetically, end of story. And no, I don’t like any of those movies you listed above as well. They are crap as well, but not that kind of mind-boggling crap as this thing. The scale is different. This is as bad as a 3,000-episode Latino soap opera.
The fact that a movie has a commercial success doesn’t mean anything. Preservatives are commercial success as well. Or paper-clips for that matter.
The problem with the whole Twilight thing is that it is of such low quality in every department, the story, the music, the acting.
Nominally, regardless of how bad a movie is, Hollywood at least manages to find good actors and a director that’s at least OK. And here the acting is incredibly bad, which tells us something about the director, etc.
I’m fine with the fact that teenage girls will like it and find something to fantasize about …
But the quality is horrible. Teenager girls still have their time ahead of them to develop their brains and realize how stupid this is.
But those 30+ and 40+ moms? That’s where the real tragedy begins.
In Japan, women drive box office. There is no male 18-30 male magic bullet (except for animation a la Evangelion). If it’s not a date movie or fully femme friendly, you’re finished when it comes to big movies with expensive P&A. Dark Knight bombed here.
It’s interesting to see a genre franchise driven by female auds in the US. Doesn’t matter what you think of the films or if they have staying power — it’s already movie business lore.
I’m waiting for the next Twilight film “Abbott and Costello Meet Twilight”
The box office has officially jumped the shark and nuked the fridge at the same time this weekend. Longing for the days when quality mattered more to mainstream movies than advertising and demographics or at least was able to pretend it did…
This film snob is about to have a Criterion DVD marathon. Good day.
Please get real-QUALITY HAS NEVER MAATERED IN CINENA-NOT FROM DAY 1.
The movie business has always been about cash, plain and simple. A few quality films escaped in the process, that’s all….
That’s not snobbery man, that’s plain ol’ delusion….Peace….
Does anyone on here know if all of the Twilight stars are godless leftists? I suspect they all are, Hopefully a new JON Voight movie will come out soon and will break New Moon’s record.
The reason for the success if 1) Stephenie Meyer 2) Stephenie Meyer, and 3) Stephenie Meyer. She wrote books that came from the heart and capture young love at its most potent. . The films are faithful to the books, but the books became a sensation before the first movie began filming. You can’t fake authentic feeling and readers/viewers know it
Well said Larry B!
LOVE the haters.
I’m not a fan of the movie, but I love seeing when films do well and people get so angry!!!
Everyone who posts here thinks they are some Hollywood business guru. Get with it – movies that you don’t like are going to do well – and continue to do well. And if you think that the next Twilight movie isn’t going to do well – that’s clearly living in denial.
And for those who are actually trying to make a career of Hollywood? Take note at the films that do well and try to understand how it works. Instead of freaking complaining, go and do something.
Wow Spiderman 3 released in early May is now Summer i don’t know what calender you are using, But SM3 retains record, you can not move summer Hollywood
dude, summer movie season stats at May and ends August. September and October are Fall Season whilst November and December are called Holiday season. January to April are Awards season, though they choose also movies from the fall and holiday season.
The vast legions of glassy-eyed, hormone-driven, love-sick, teen girls, will no doubt carry this film to some phenomenal revenue plateau. The real question is, why? It’s enough to make people with writing talent scratch their heads in wonder — if not envy.
I just happened to stumble across this nice little commentary section and found it quite amusing. So, to all of you “haters” on this movie (Oh no, a movie, mind you! It’s the end of the world!), I have only one thing to say. You don’t have to watch it if you don’t want to. It’s that simple! So go on with your lives, please. Discuss something worth while, will you? Be thankful kids are actually devoting themselves to reading and seeing movies now instead of…well, other things they could be doing. It doesn’t matter whether or not you like the series either. Especially if you’ve never even read it. That’s a laugh! And if you really think about it, aren’t most movies a little worse than the books anyway? If you’re thinking of reading the series now, you may need to clear the dust off your stale imagination, though. Just a thought.
I don’t understand why the hate for Twilight comes from! Is it that bad that young (and adults) people now a day are in love with books that have no violence in it and deliver a message of friendship, love, loyalty to your family? Is it preferably to have your daughters on the streets or chatting with strangers online than reading a book in their bedrooms? Is it so bad that people want to see a love story on the movies rather than a violent film? Have any of you haters read the news about the violence among young people these days? Why is so wrong to love a harmless book series like Twilight is? What is so wrong with being part of a phenomenon that have united mothers and daughters who probably didn’t have any common interest before?
Please, stop being so blind and bashful about something you probably don’t know. New Moon isn’t an Oscar worthy film but it sure is better than many other movies that have received better reviews for the sole reason of being targeted at other kind of demographics. If you don’t like it…ok…but don’t put down people that like this story.
Hey. What a fantastic weekend at the box office. Almost EVERYTHING was a giant hit. The marketplace really expanded and people flocked to the theaters. Here is a breakdown.
1) NEW MOON – WOW!!!! Talk about extraordinary. This broke records left and right and actually it held up very well all things considered and I have a strong feeling that this will play like TWILIGHT with a 60% drop next weekend which is inevitable and then even out. For a budget of $50M this is fantastic and Summit did a great job marketing, something that they can’t do for any of their films besides this one. While I have no interest in this being a guy and it looking like shit, kudos to Summit.
2) Blind Side – I saw this film and it was fantastic but not Oscar-worthy b/c of the bland and generic directing. Sandra deserves some recognition but a nomination seems unlikely. Sandra has had quite a year with THE PROPOSAL and now this. She is a true box office star. If anyone else was the lead in ALL ABOUT STEVE it would have crashed and burned. Sandra at least managed a respectable gross. I though this would open $13M. When I saw Fridays high number I thought it was always going to open big with a $20M OW, and NEW MOON sell-outs had people seeing this, pushing it over the edge. But once it went UP on Saturday and by a lot, I realized that it was all for this film. Brilliantly marketed with guys coming to see the football and girls coming to see Bullock. It should thrive throughout this Holiday season and the ultra-wide release will have it stick around for a while. Look for a $130-150M final.
3.) 2012 – It held up like a typical disaster pic from Roland and espically againt a beheometh like NEW MOON and an overperforming BLIND SIDE, it shows that 2012 should fare well through future competition and end up with about $170-185M. WW it should continue to thrive and pass $600M. It’s a success.
4.) Planet 51 – Hey, for a 2D animation film that looks like it should have came out in 2002, it did pretty damn well. It looked cheap to make and was marketed cute. It had a funny-sounding story and should have nice legs. Not a hit, but I’d call it a success. Should wind up close to $50M, espically with the holiday season coming up. I don’t see MR. FOX being much competition because I think that will not appeal to little kids as much as this.
5.) XMAS CAROL – Disney should be worried now. TWILIGHT, BLIND SIDE, and PLANET 51 are all family films in a sense and the 45+% drop is a big fall for this type of film. With next week OLD DOGS coming out which is direct competition I see this struggling to break $150M. While it might have a small spike when XMAS comes, it will be too late since all of its IMAX and 3D screens will go to AVATAR. Not a total flop since the DVD sales will probably be amazing, but it will not be a huge money-maker either.
6.) PRECIOUS – While its PTA looks dwarfed by NEW MOON and BLIND SIDE, PRECIOUS did VERY well in it’s expansion since it is a tough pic to advertise. It’s challenge was going to be going wide and appealing to mainstream audiences and it has done that. While it might have some trouble next week since it’s not a good-feeling thanksgiving film, it should still have a good average. Glad this is succeeding and has a chance of breaking $100M depending on next week’s expansion. Also THE ROAD, AN EDUCATION, MR. FOX, and depending on how big PIPPA LEE opens could affect this film with their expansions, stealing away the more educated and academy award seeing audience.
7.) MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS – I am surprised at how big these drops are. Bad word of mouth and should be out of the top 10 by next week. Did decently, but should have atleast hit $40M.
8.) COUPLES RETREAT – FINALLY this film is sinking!!!! BLIND SIDE is the new adult film movie. Lack of competition was the only reason this turd cracked $100M b/c I don’t know anyone that liked it or atleast enough to reccommend it.
9.) FOURTH KIND – Performed typically and made a profit. Not much to say.
10.) LAW ABIDING CITIZEN – Good film (until the end) and held up well until this week when most of its theaters where taken away. $70M I would say is a hit for this film, but it’s $50M budget is a bit high for this type of film. Overture though usually delievers flops so I guess this is good for them.
OUT OF THE TOP TEN THIS WEEKEND: PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, THE BOX, and MJ: THIS IS IT – All dropped a lot of theaters this week due to the new films and performed typically for a film with a big theater drop. PARANORMAL is a success story that I won’t repeat and THIS IS IT performed respectfully after its disappointing opening weekend. THE BOX flopped like the crappy film it is.
All supernatural elements aside, one thing the TWILIGHT movies get right is their portrayals of teenagers, how they think, act and talk. Not unlike the older John Hughes movies in this respect.
Roland Emerich is getting 25% of the gross? I didn’t think studios were making those deals anymore. Any more details on this?
I guess this is proof that Clint Eastwood was right when he said we have a nation of teenage twits.
You can scream “Girl Power” all you want, simple fact is that to hit it big, really big, you need both sexes. Action movies like Iron Man had a bigger five day weekend, inflation adjusted, not because girls/women loved it but because it was not outright repellent.
Guys won’t bite on this movie, in fact by showing a guy who is totally Alpha/Dominant from the get-go, its an anti-date movie. Since no guy can live up to the fantasy (as opposed to the classic action movie where a guy with flaws “becomes” the hero).
Reality check: studios get money not primarily from theatrical box office but from DVD/Rental/TV rights/etc. Edward Jay Epstein (Hollywood Business writer, author “Big Picture) that Theatrical accounts for 18% of film revenue, the rest being DVD and so on.
Twilight’s profitability will be resting on the studio being able to open fangirl wallets for “special edition” DVDs, and hefty rights sales. STARZ/Showtime/HBO MIGHT or might not pay a lot for it, given the audience demos (all girls/moms, NO MEN).
While I agree that generally, films doing well bring out more people, (A) Box office revenue is less than 20% of film revenue, and (B) a film like New Moon/Twilight is polarizing and repellent to men. The more “female and gay” movies become, the more guys will retreat into all-male spheres like Video Games.
Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare, with little marketing push, sold 4.7 million copies in ONE DAY making $310 MILLION. [Average price for the game, $66.] Batman 2 making $158 million first weekend. Call of Duty 2 took $550 million in its first five days of sales. Breaking the previous 5-day record of $500 million for Grand Theft Auto IV.
Lesson: MEN/Boys will spend FAR MORE than girls for one-gender only entertainment, and Hollywood has problems as it becomes more “female-gay” with games taking most men’s entertainment cash. I don’t think Hollywood can survive on Twilight alone and games cost significantly less than movies to produce and distribute and market.
Ask GM/Chrysler/Ford how having high costs, limited market, and repellent image to much of your potential customers worked out.
whiskey,
You don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, shut up.
Dear Whiskey is a jerk:
Whiskey’s post was spot on, backed by empirical evidence. Great comeback, though. Very convincing. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Please, shut up.” Were you on the debate team? Compelling stuff. Hearing your rebuttal instantly proved to me that sophomoric insults are much more effective than fact-based arguments.
Whiskey’s post was far from spot on. A know-it-all tone doesn’t mean he actually knows-it-all. Or, in fact, knows anything.
“To hit it big, really big, you need both sexes.” Well, yes, the ideal is the four-quadrant film, everyone knows that. But when you’re so popular amongst women that the female audience alone can give you the fourth biggest opening weekend of all time, you’re doing just fine.
What standard does Whiskey think the Twilight films should be held up to? They don’t cost very much and they make a ton of money. Would they make more money if they somehow found a way to draw in guys too? Maybe, if they didn’t alienate the girls in the process. But they are far from hurting. I don’t even see the point he is trying to make. Is he just threatened by the idea of a movie making money from a primarily female audience? Is he arguing these movies are flops or disappointments? Because that’s, well, insane.
Next, Iron Man had a bigger opening weekend? Well, duh. Iron Man also got way better reviews, opened in the summer when attendance is higher, had much bigger stars, was a property that had been around for longer, and, oh yeah, it also cost WAY more. So that’s a completely idiotic comparison.
Then we get another classic Whiskey-ism — apparently Iron Man didn’t do well because girls liked it, but because “they didn’t find it repellent.” Of course he doesn’t cite anything for this ridiculous statement as it’s just his own warped and incorrect ideas about gender.
Have you ever even met a woman, Whiskey? You don’t think women would like a fun, fast-paced, exciting adventure, featuring a charming Robert Downey Jr. matching wits with Gwenyth Paltrow and butting heads with Jeff Bridges? That doesn’t sound like it might have some female appeal? Or do you really think girls are only interested in, I don’t know, ponies and rainbows and luuuuurve?
Plenty of women loved Iron Man, if you can believe it. They weren’t just dragged to it by their neanderthal boyfriends, as you imply. You know, here in 2009, some people even go to movies with groups of friends, or family. You seem to think date night couples are the only people who see blockbuster movies. You are very wrong.
Next up — wow, what a reality check, all the money from the ticket sales doesn’t go directly to the studio? You just blew my mind, Whiskey! I thought those movie theaters were kept in business by sheer force of will! And yet, even with only 18 percent going to the studio, Twilight will make a huge profit long before DVD. So this “point” is, again, no point at all. And, of course, that same 18 percent figure would be applied to EVERY movie, not just this one. Even, say, Iron Man.
New Moon will also sell a ton of DVDs, as even you seem to begrudgingly admit. So again, what’s your point? Are you honestly trying to say this movie isn’t going to make lots and lots of money? Because, it is.
Next up, funniest of all, Twilight is your big evidence of movies becoming “female and gay” and driving guys away? Let’s look at the top-grossing films of the year, shall we:
1. Transformers
2. Harry Potter 6
3. Up
4. Hangover
5. Star Trek
6. Monsters vs. Aliens
7. Ice Age 3
8. X-Men Origins: Wolverine
9. Night At The Smithsonian
10. The Proposal
If you had to categorize each of these as either “male and straight,” or “female and gay,” how many would fall into each category?
You’ve got five family films, and all seem to be targeting boys more than girls (they’re about monsters, aliens, dinosaurs, boy scouts, wizards, not princesses, romance, or whatever you’d like to associate with your stereotypical girly things).
That leaves Transformers, Star Trek, The Hangover, Wolverine, and the Proposal. Only The Proposal seems “female and gay,” out of those, and it’s the lowest grossing of the group.
So what was that about all the “female and gay” films pushing guys to video games? Seems like most films are still aimed at guys and “guy films” are still the most successful films out there. But I guess the very existence of a movie that appeals mostly to girls has offended your delicate sensibilities? If guys are that easily turned off perhaps they should grow up before venturing to the multiplex.
Next, Call Of Duty had little marketing push? Do your research my friend. The game cost 40-50 million, then they spent a whopping 150 MILLION on marketing, way more than nearly any Hollywood film, even a mid-sized blockbuster like Twilight. Plus, there are far more girls who play Modern Warfare 2 than guys who watch Twilight, so it’s disingenuous to say that it’s just men driving those grosses.
Then there’s the fact that a video game costs more than six times the average movie ticket, so that’s not an accurate financial comparison. People get to keep video games, not watch them once, and you can replay them. Plus, videogames make their money once, movies make money when they are shown on cable, on airplanes, on broadcast TV, on DVD, on Blu-Ray, sold on iTunes, etc.
Movies also have more ancillary merchandise. How many Modern Warfare T-Shirts sold this week? I’m guessing it’s nowhere near as many as Twilight T-shirts sold, or Twilight soundtracks, toys, magazines, etc.
Then you close with another completely illogical comparison — to car companies. Right, that’s why Hollywood is actually doing better than last year, even in the middle of a recession. Because it’s about to collapse.
So anyway, this was a real long way of saying what “whiskey is a jerk” summed up beautifully: you don’t know what you’re talking about. Please shut up.
hey i know that you are in your male rant mode, but just in case you didnt know, Twilight is the biggest selling DVD (so far) for this year. Also, Hot Topic is posting also positive revenues because of associating with the Twilight series despite of recession. Also, if you say that girls doesnt purchase merchandise and stuff, well we would not be seeing Walmart,Nordstrom, Mattel, Burger King, ToysRUs and other big corporations joining the craze now do we.
Yes, you guys have your computer games, the girls have the merchandise.Still generates a lot of cash and they are not from the box-office revenues alone.
To true man. To true. You really do need a double gender appealing film to make it into the 750,000,000+ area. A lot of films can suddenly slow down after their big first weekends and first weeks. This might all be over within 3 or 4 days, who really knows?
The posters named whisky, someone and dave sound so pathetic and knee-knocking, pants-wetting threatened by the success of this movie it is laughable. Get a grip. I have no interest in New Moon and probably won’t see it until it hits my cable provider, but not only does its success not bother me, I’m perfectly fine with it.
whisky, in previous posts, you’ve complained about Hollywood emasculating the image of men, particularly, according to you, white men. I’ve got news for you, the only people emasculating the image of white men are snivelling, whiny white guys like you. You sound like spoiled babies who’ve had it your way for so long that you can’t handle anyone else (women, minorities) getting some attention. Please grow up, you’re embarrassing the rest of us.
I repeat myself:
How do you say “Titantic” in vampire?
zee bige$t avar…
Larry B will New Moon make 75 Million dollars in its second weekend like The Dark Knight did? No it won’t. Will New Moon make more than 310 Million dollars in its first 10 days? No it won’t. Will New Moon make 400 Million dollars in its first 18 Days? No it won’t. Will New Moon make almost $700,000 in its 28th weekend? No it won’t. Will New Moon make more than 500 Million dollars like The Dark Knight did? No it won’t. Will New Moon make more than 1 BILLION DOLLARS worldwide like The Dark Knight did? No it won’t
New Moon is not even on the same level as the same The Dark Knight and not to mention other movies like Titanic, Star Wars, Gone with the Wind, E.T., and Jaws just to name a few.
and your point is? New Moon will make money for its studio which I think was pretty much Larry B’s point. I have no idea what Dark Knight has to do with it unless you’re discussing some kind of imaginary pissing match between the two films. in that case, okay, Dave, you’re right, Dark Knight’s record is safe. Feel better?
New Moon is well on it’s way to doing just that and it pisses the twihards off for you to doubt them. Look at all the votes they managed to get for awards and such. Everyone underestimates the sucess of NM. The projections were for 85-110M for it’s opening weekend, 23M for its Midnight releases. Guess what it made 140M, and 26M respectively, with a much much smaller demographic and it being an independent studio therefore an independent movie. It was made for 50M, so it’s won already. Twihards and twilighters are desperately trying to make sure that the fourth in the series gets made, they will do anything to prove to Summit that it will be lucrative for them to continue on, don’t underestimate them or us anymore.
Don’t like the movie, don’t watch it. That’s what I did with TDK, I just turned it off because it turned out to be crap, which was very disappointing
I have a simple rule to movies I haven’t seen. I don’t pass judgement on them. I do the same with the book too. As for Twilight and New Moon why does it bring have out the haters? Now I haven’t seen them but I’m not rendering judgement. But look how phenomal successful the book series has been and the movie series thus far. Would I like I read all four of her books? Yes. I’ve browse through them whenever I’m in bookstore beside connecting with the teens,the authors appeals to us adults too. It’s all in the prose.
For example I see how teens of this generation connect with it. It reminds me when I saw John Hugh’s Breakfast Club for my first time when I was in college,I was a few years away from my high school years but the breakfast club I connected with it. Now that I’m older I enjoy films becouse I love them. But don’t knock a film you haven’t seen. Case closed. I’m looking forward to seeing John Cameron’s Avatar. I’ve visited the website and publicity for it is gradually reving up.
Chuck,
Let me know how John Cameron’s Avatar is. I would like to compare it to James Cameron’s version. Also, I’ve only seen John Hughes’ version of Breakfast Club, not John Hugh’s. Is it as good?
I would also like to show my appreciation of your profound statement, “Now that I’m older I enjoy films becouse(sic) I love them.” You must have had a terrible time in your youth being forced to enjoy films that you hated.
One last thing Chuck, while connecting with the teens in the bookstore, look out for Chris Hansen. It could be a trap. Good day sir.
Larry that quite possibly might have been the best post ever here on this site. Way to go ripping into these hating assholes still glory drooling over the forever boring DARK KNIGHT. I’m not a TWILIGHT fan by any means and i will see the movie but it brings me such pleasure to see all these haters coming out of there shoes and skin when a movie they don’t approve of has tremendous success. Here it is i thought haters were assholes towards the success of TRANSFORMERS but i now i just see you haters and nay-sayers are just assholes period. You guys cant give credit where credit is due.
You know what this proves? It proves that when you get down to the nitty gritty real movies fans, fanboys and fangirls alike will support and power their movie to the top no matter the dick-head critics or just the plain ol every day dick-head has to say. Way to go NEW MOON, go ahead and make that money!!
No one cares about Twilight making money dude. They are just voicing their opinions on what they think about a movie with terrible acting and more hot people than an actual storyline being so successful, and they have every right to without you insulting them. The fact is, this movie is only popular because the characters in it all have perfect features and are models. That is why there are so many “haters”. Period.
So the movie’s shit. Who cares? The problem with all the haters seems to be that it’s girl shit instead of guy shit. And no, I haven’t seen it.
Actually, thats not the reason. There are lots of girls who don’t like this movie and lots of guys who don’t like Transformers. Not because they are gay or old or whatever, simply because they do not like those movies. Twilight is popular because of it’s actors being good looking and that is a sad fact, regardless of what you say. This movie has quite average acting in it, the effects in the first movie were actually really terrible for a modern movie, and it was about a fraction as popular as the books then it is as a movie, which goes to show that its not about the story or the substence, its about Robert Pattinsons fucking jaw line.
And three weekends from now we’ll all be having the same discussions as the Avatar lovers and haters duke it out.
New Moon has done far worse than simply break a few of The Dark Knight’s records. It has put all of those records into perspective.
Transformers 2 did the same earlier this year, when it managed to gross roughly the same amount in its first five days. Ditto for Harry Potter, when it surpassed the midnight gross not long afterwards.
All of this simply underscores how shallow and fleeting box office has become. We live in the age of frontloaded blockbusters, where such records fall each year (and sometimes more than once).
For all the hype about The Dark Knight’s success, the reality is that it was never even close to surpassing Titanic- either in overall box office or as a cultural phenomenon. Fanboys- and Fangirls- desperately want to view box office as social proof that their beloved franchise is “important”. Nine times out of ten, all it really means is that the franchise had a good marketing campaign.
Jesus Christ, I finally found someone who has a brain in their head. But you have to admit, Heath Ledger was fucking briliant right?
I’ve seen it Twice, I have tickets to see it Tuesday and Next Sat. I have plans to Go with my brother who wants to see it when he comes home for Christmas, plus with another friend when the lines thin out a little bit. All in all, I’ve spent, so far, 7 hours in lines waiting for tickets (which I got back in Sept) and waiting to see the movie (that does include waiting to see Twilight on Thursday when it played before NM).
All that said, believe it or not, I’m not a “twihard”, they are significantly worse than me. The people giving NM a bad review are people who never liked the series or the actors or the hype, they were the people you were never going to please. But people like me and worse than me will make more than certain that it gets to the 500M mark as soon as possible. People underestimated it and it blew all the estimations out of the water. You are naive if you don’t think it has a chance to to almost as well next weekend as it did this weekend. And PS its crap like this that only fuels the twihards to make it more hyped and see it more and more to proove people like those who have commented on this site wrong. this movie is huge and it’s going to stay that way.
Oh and PS its technically a 3 day total in the States…4 days for canada
I like the way you said, “The people giving NM a bad review are people who never liked the series or the actors or the hype”. No shit Sherlock…You pretty much just named the 2 most important factors that determine how good a movie is and the 1 factor that determines how overrated a movie will be. How smart are you!? Not.
Let’s face it, if Edward had been played by, I don’t know, Jack Black, then Twilight would be a tenth as popular as it is and you know it. You know why though? Because this generation of girls are a bunch of shallow sluts who don’t actually have any regard for what real talent is and who don’t know what real talent is.
Wow, bitter much?
Your description of young girls as “shallow sluts” just because they do not share a mutual intetest in whatever it is you call yourself enjoying pretty much nails you as the one with the problem, not them…..
Please seek guidance as to why you hate women so much…..
sad day for movies when this crap sells. transformers, crap, crap moon, crap.
haha.
I KNEW THIS MOVIE would break all $$$ records. Regardless of what you think of the books…
Hollywood needs to wake up and make movies women will want to see.
Start by hiring more women execs, and writers. AND FIRE those metrosexual Harvard MBA loosers who can’t find their way out of a sack of dog shit if it was lit on fire.
In the end, its all green. $$$
Also, the fan boys have their little transformer, batman, terminator flicks.
Women want to see hot guys and romance.
Ugly men can stay home and play with their little video games
I don’t know if you are joking or not, but if you aren’t then you’re clearly the most up you self, shallowest loser on this planet.
someone,
For someone who thinks the success of Twilight is fleeting and not all that important anyway, you sure spent a lot of time writing about it.
Weird.
Actually if you step away from the language, you can see that KFOG is talking pure demographics. The media industries will always look for the bottom-line mass demos to conquer the various niche markets they have to catch up with. The Twilight series has a clear/strong demographic, as does the brands/properties of sci-fi and action, as do most video games. Just that H’wood & co could never see one so strong for female tweens and their moms/aunts/big sisters.
Adaptations – and bad ones – aren’t new. they’re the staple. the game post-LOTR, Harry Potter has changed. The demo has to get fed with fresh films that create the good ol’ lines around the block that blockbusters are built on. Not like there’s fresh video game ideas that are making loads of money either. After Rock/Guitar Star/Band titles, where else can they go?
Sequels are nothing new either. They’re are front-loaded revenue. period. Modern warfare 3 (or is it call of duty 4?) blew away GTA’s Liberty City, and holds its own entertainment sales record for one day.
Bad stories are nothing new either. And the same for the tween spending dollar. Or raging adolescent hormones. Movies have always been a crazy juggling act of all the above factors, and then some.
I won’t rush to New Moon as I didn’t for Twilight. I thought the DVD wasn’t okay, plain but my expectation was low. Transformers 2 was horrible; I had higher expectations. So I’m glad that the movie did gangbuster’s B.O. — for the industry, for women. I just hoped that a smarter, healthier love story – even with the sexy supernatural stuff – would come to the fore. (My father thought NM was absolutely boring; as do many of my fellow professionals.) I do fear that future love stories for women/film will be dumbed-down/copied.
Your reaction to it is as simple and brash and terse. but with zero insight.
amazin how you people argue over a “movie”. is a movie!!! to watch and enjoy, so what is teens go ga ga over it, who cares!!! did any of you guys put 100k in the making of batman? does the batman and harry movie makers care? they dont!!! they made millions!!! so what if another movie made more. wow people get a life!!
It’ not just a movie. It is social phenomenon, one that includes mass psychosis as one of its components, by the way. That’s the interesting part.
After reading this article and a few of the comments I have come to the conclusion that P.T. Barnum was spot on in his observance of humankind. Come on people wake up! We have become so devoid of reality that it’s scary to say the least. I shudder at the thought of our future as a race if this drivel is what’s capturing the hearts and lives of our children. I can assure you that as Western society continues to digress in this fashion that we will one day cease to be neither.
It’s a movie that appeals to teen girls and that’s fine.
It’s making money and that’s great.
And it’s a lousy story, just like Transformers or Terminator Salvation.
Perhaps PT Barnum was right…
if quality determined how much a movie earned at the box office, (best picture winning) Crash would be the all-time record holder.
Seen it twice and going again Friday! Yes, I’m a self-proclaimed Robsessed, Twi-hard Mom! There are worse things to be addicted to, right!?
Roses are red…violets are blue…someday collage-age boys…will ask collage-age girls to see Twilight…and finally have a clue…then the Twilight movies will break all records…and the major Hollywood companies will cry in their ice-cream…until they make more movies from Mormon authors. (Who are better at ryming then me…)
You know your true love is a Twilight fan when she gives you vampire teeth to put in your mouth before you kiss each other for the first time. If she says “Edward… let’s tongue…” Run screaming and yelling. OR NOT.
More proof that American women need to get LAID and FAST.
I was watching some local news show and they showed a line of folks waiting outside FOR DAYS for the premier and I was SHOCKED at how many of them were overweight moms over 40.
This culture of sexless single moms (or even married women who aren’t having sex with their husbands) has led to an entire sector of women falling for barely legal young guys who they have no chance of scoring with. It’s like soap operas and romance novels have been replaced by things like Twilight.
I don’t care how much the film makes but it is a SAD state of affairs when American women are more turned on by imaginary vampires than by real men. Masculinity in America is DEAD if you go by these numbers.
how much did The Twilight Saga: New Moon make on opening day…….. and weekend
opening day $72.7 million
Full of Win in my youth there were films I hated. The slasher films of the 80s:the original Friday 13th and others. But I have heart for Freddy Kreuger. But the Friday 13 films I didn’t go see until the last ones of the series. But the original Slashers I had no desire,since they didn’t interest me,I didn’t go watch them.
The Twilight Saga is just a vampire-disguised Mormon handbook on how not to have sex before marriage otherwise you burn in hell.
I understand why many are not remotely interested in the books or movies. The first movie was lacking, to say the least. The second film was better, IMO. I read the books and loved them. These novels are difficult to translate into film because of how they are written. As a result, the only way to depict them accurately would involve having constant voice-overs or subtitles.
If you aren’t interested, then just don’t support the franchise. I don’t understand the reading/movie preferences of others, but I don’t believe it necessary to piously criticize the choices of others…to each his own.
Personally, I find it refreshing that a successful franchise doesn’t degrade men and women with pointless nudity and base behavior. I’m so tired of people being portrayed as ignorant tools with no moral compass or concept of consequences. The characters in the Twilight series demonstrate much more character and responsibility than any portrayed in “Knocked Up” et al. I would prefer kids watch the Twilight movies than some of the other things coming out of Hollywood.
I did a little bit of research/reading about the series and the author. I find it refreshing that standing by one’s principles is presented and valued throughout this series of books/movies. Not so much for most of the other choices available out there, from books to movies to TV shows. As the mother of a 2 teenagers (one boy, one girl), that’s the kind of message that I support. I’ve read all the Twilight books and have seen both movies. I also plan to see the last 2 movies. Quite simply, they’re entertaining. I don’t look for them to provide meaning to my life one way or the other.
Loved New Moon! It was truly made for the fans of the books and we appreciate it. So sick of seeing the same 6 or so lead actors in romantic roles over and over again. Glad that Rob and Taylor have brought their fresh faces and talent into the leading man category. Casting directors need to stop just handing roles to the same actors over and over again… bring on the next generation of lead actors ..it’s their time.