Spielberg's last film, War Horse, which was less well-received, galloped all the way to $79.9 million over the holidays after a $7.5 million opening weekend. Thanks to strong reviews and an "A" CinemaScore grade from audiences, 64 percent of which were 50 or older, the $65 million Steven Spielberg-directed film should hold up just as well - especially because older patrons typically take their time in coming out to the theater, and the upcoming holidays frees up many working adults' schedules to go to the movies. Lincoln opened slightly higher than fellow Oscar front-runner Argo, which kicked off its run with $19.8 million last month (and now has $92.0 million total). Lincoln, Disney's much buzzed-about Oscar contender, fared well in its expansion from 11 theaters into 1,775 locations, grossing $21.0 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period. Casino Royale was formerly the highest grossing Bond film with $599.2 million, but Skyfall smashed that record with ease and now looks like it will soar to at least $850 million. After a $49.6 million international frame this weekend, its overseas total stands at $507.9 million, and its worldwide gross has reached $669.2 million - easily the highest number ever for the 50-year-old series. over the next few days - Quantum of Solace currently holds that distinction with $168.4 million.Īround the world, Skyfall, which cost Sony and MGM $200 million, has already become the highest grossing Bond ever. The film will easily become the highest-grossing Bond film ever in the U.S. Last weekend's champ, Skyfall, dipped 53 percent to $41.5 million in its second weekend, lifting its domestic total to $161.3 million after just ten days. Yet, with an "A" CinemaScore grade from polled audiences, which were 79 percent female (hilariously, the 21 percent of the audience that was male represents the highest male ratio ever for a Twilight picture), there's a chance that repeat viewings from super-fans could boost revenues. There's still a chance that Breaking Dawn - Part 2 could become the highest grossing Twilight film domestically - though it seems unlikely given the fact that Breaking Dawn - Part 1 ($281.3 million) earned substantially less than Eclipse ($300.5 million). Twihards are known for rushing to the theater at the first possible moment, so Breaking Dawn - Part 2 is expected to fall quickly from here, but with the lucrative Thanksgiving frame coming up, it should enjoy at least one more massive weekend and climb to about $300 million total. The film scored a blazing $34,717 per theater average from its 4,070 theaters - the best average at the entire box office. Fans are either in - and they've been in for a few years - or they're not interested.įortunately for Summit (a Lionsgate company following their acquisition earlier this year), who spent about $120 million to produce Breaking Dawn - Part 2, that cult of loyal fans is still gigantic. But it appears that The Twilight Saga is a different beast. In 2005 Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (which was thought to be the final Star Wars film at the time) started with 36 percent more than its predecessor with $108.4 million. In 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 opened 35 percent higher than its predecessor with $169.2 million.
Other finales have earned substantially more on their opening weekends, drawing in casual viewers who want to be part of the pop culture moment. That consistency may be why Breaking Dawn - Part 2 didn't experience an expected box office boost, despite being the grand finale of the popular franchise. Like I said, it's a remarkably consistent franchise.
After all, the last three Twilight films - Breaking Dawn - Part 1, Eclipse, and New Moon - earned $712.2 million, $709.8 million, and $698.5 million, respectively. When all is said and done, the film will likely finish just above $700 million.
Impressively, "Breaking Dawn - Part 2" also earned $199.6 million in its international debut this weekend, giving it an early global total of $340.9 million. If Summit's estimates hold up, that's just a touch ahead of "Breaking Dawn - Part 1," which started with $138.1 million last year, and just a touch behind New Moon, which opened with $142.8 million in 2009. The popular vampire franchise's final installment, "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2," scored the eighth biggest opening weekend of all time with a $141.3 million debut. Say what you will about the "Twilight" series, but you can't fault it for being inconsistent.