New Moon’s Monster Weekend

If box office sales were the primary indicator of a film's success, then New Moon would be headed to the Oscars. After bringing in $72.7 million its first day in theaters and breaking the opening day record previously held by The Dark Knight (67.2 million), The Twilight Saga sequel went on to achieve the third most profitable three-day premier in domestic box-office history. At $140.7 million, the flick knocked Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest ($135.6) out of the third place slot, falling behind only The Dark Knight ($158.4 million) and Spider-Man 3 ($151.1 million), and proving that apparently bats, spiders, and vampires are box office gold. New Moon also broke the record for the biggest November opening in history, as well as the second largest non-holiday release (losing again to The Dark Knight). As American Twihard audiences swooned, teenage girls (and their mothers) overseas were enjoying Taylor Lautner's chiseled abs as well and contributing to the film's $258.8 million opening global weekend.