HARRY POTTER - TWILIGHT TAKES A SMALLER BITE

TWILIGHT TAKES A SMALLER BITE

After the teen vampire flick Twilight opened with a sensational $35 million box-office take on Friday, some analysts were predicting a flood of repeat business over the weekend and a final total of $75-80 million. However, when Saturday's gross declined to $21 million, they revised their weekend estimate to $70.6 million. But Sunday's ticket sales came to only $12 million, bringing the actual total to $69.6 million -- still, the fourth-best November opening in history (behind the Harry Potter movies) and the fourth best opening of the year. Bolt , the Disney animated film that was supposed to give Twilight a run for the money, couldn't bolt out of the gate, winding up with just $26.2 million for third place. Several analysts expected it to improve over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Last week's winner, the James Bond thriller Quantum of Solace also performed well below expectations, falling 60 percent to $26.7 million, to capture second place. Two films in limited release performed solidly, however. Miramax's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas landed in eighth place with $1.65 million, despite playing in only 406 theaters. And Fox Searchlight's Slumdog Millionaire placed eleventh with $947,795 in just 32 theaters. Overall, the top 12 films earned $156,677,936, up 4 percent from last year's total of $150,603,712.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Media by Numbers (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date) 1. Twilight , Summit Entertainment, $69,637,740, (New); 2. Quantum of Solace, Sony/MGM, $26,707,945, 2 Wks. ($108,790,786); 3. Bolt , Disney, $26,223,128, (New); 4. Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, Paramount, $15,661,936, 3 Wks. ($137,109,390); 5. Role Models , Universal, $7,324,445, 3 Wks. ($48,133,020); 6 . Changeling , Universal, $2,695,450, 5 Wks. ($31,665,332); 7. High School Musical 3 Senior Year , Disney, $2,049,144, 5 Wks. ($86,864,082); 8. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , Miramax, $1,647,514, 3 Wks. ($2,628,053); 9. Zack and Miri Make a Porno , Weinstein Co. $1,605,579, 4 Wks. ($29,256,029); 10. The Secret Life of Bees , Fox Searchlight, $1,264,991, 5 Wks. ($35,638,795).

25/11/2008