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Sometimes a movie will consume the internet for weeks before its release, and then turn out to be Snakes on a Plane](Snakes on a Plane (2006) - Movie | Moviefone). This is not one of those times. New Moon](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/19/the-twilight-saga-new-moon-review/) didn’t set the all time opening weekend box office record, but it came uncomfortably close, and – holy crap – it now owns the record for the highest single-day gross ever, a $72 million Friday. Twilight opened to almost precisely half of New Moon’s $140 million number, and went on to gross $192 million. The sequel should pass that mark by next weekend.
New Moon’s staying power is a bit difficult to forecast. On one hand, its grosses may be frontloaded, as is typical when rabid fans of the source material rush out to pack midnight and opening-day showings. On the other, this might just be the kind of film that, even more so than its predecessor, generates repeat business. (Along these lines, I wonder if the egregious objectification of men in New Moon’s marketing campaign is a victory for feminism. I vote yes.)
Getting somewhat lost in all the New Moon hoopla is the slightly less dramatic victory scored by the earnest, good-natured tearjerker The Blind Side](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/11/20/review-the-blind-side/), which took second place with nearly $35 million, which I suspect is another testament to the enduring box office draw of Sandra Bullock. (As a side note, the enduring box office draw of Sandra Bullock must be a testament to the awfulness of All About Steve](All About Steve (2009) - Movie | Moviefone), which topped out at $33 million despite her prominent presence.) It was also smart of Warner Bros. to deemphasize the sports angle – a “football movie” would not have done this well.
More, and the top 10, after the jump.
Continue reading Weekend Box Office: ‘New Moon’ Lives Up to the Hype