'Twilight' era dawns with $69.6 million opener

[November 25, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The "Twilight" era dawned bright and early.

The low-budget vampire romance based on Stephenie Meyer's popular novel opened with a $69,637,740 weekend, the fourth-highest opening of 2008 and another strong signal that movies aimed at young women can pack a wallop at the box office.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:

1. "Twilight," Summit Entertainment, $69,637,740, 3,419 locations, $20,368 average, $69,637,740, one week.

2. "Quantum of Solace" Sony/MGM, $26,707,945, 3,458 locations, $7,724 average, $108,790,786, two weeks.

3. "Bolt," Disney, $26,223,128, 3,651 locations, $7,182 average, $26,223,128, one week.

4. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," Paramount, $15,661,936, 4,007 locations, $3,909 average, $137,109,390, three weeks.

5. "Role Models," Universal, $7,324,445, 2,733 locations, $2,680 average, $48,133,020, three weeks.

6. "Changeling," Universal, $2,695,450, 1,739 locations, $1,550 average, $31,665,332, five weeks.

7. "High School Musical 3: Senior Year," Disney, $2,049,144, 2,361 locations, $868 average, $86,864,082, five weeks.

8. "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas," Miramax, $1,647,514, 406 locations, $4,058 average, $2,628,053, three weeks.

9. "Zack and Miri Make a Porno," Weinstein Co. , $1,605,579, 1,222 locations, $1,314 average, $29,256,029, four weeks.

10. "The Secret Life of Bees," Fox Searchlight, $1,264,991, 1,095 locations, $1,155 average, $35,638,795, six weeks.

11. "Slumdog Millionaire," Fox Searchlight, $947,795, 32 locations, $29,619 average, $1,570,240, two weeks.

12. "Soul Men," MGM, $912,269, 814 locations, $1,121 average, $10,900,509, three weeks.

13. "Fireproof," Samuel Goldwyn, $909,404, 823 locations, $1,105 average, $31,514,538, nine weeks.

14. "Rachel Getting Married," Sony Pictures Classics," $751,611, 300 locations, $2,505 average, $8,003,380, eight weeks.

15. "Eagle Eye," Dreamworks/Paramount, $667,605, 757 locations, $882 average, $99,740,445, nine weeks.

16. "Beverly Hills Chihuahua," Disney, $468,078, 788 locations, $594 average, $91,614,153, eight weeks.

17. "Saw V," Lionsgate, $459,081, 694 locations, $662 average, $56,383,962, five weeks.

18. "The Haunting of Molly Hartley," Freestyle Releasing, $385,013, 614 locations, $627 average, $13,180,859, four weeks.

19. "The Dark Knight," Warner Bros., $370,449, 345 locations, $1,074 average, $529,696,290, 19 weeks.

20. "Happy Go Lucky," Miramax, $338,071, 202 locations, $1,674 average, $2,213,147, seven weeks.

[Associated Press]

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