"Eclipse" Headed For $180 Million By MondayLike the last two movies based on Stephenie Meyer’s fan favorite vampire books, “The Twilight Sage: Eclipse,” which debuted Wednesday, is set to draw hordes of young women this weekend and should generate about $180 million in the U.S. and Canada by the national holiday Monday.
Last November’s “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” grossed $179 million in the U.S. and Canada by its sixth day and “Eclipse” will likely do at least that much by Monday and possibly as much as $200 million, said people who have seen prerelease surveys. The new film has an advantage over its predecessor given the holiday weekend, the fact that many students are off from school and can go to weekday matinees, and that it is the first “Twilight” movie to play on premium priced Imax screens.
As a result, total receipts for the new film will almost certainly be very front-loaded, with most of its revenue coming in the first week.
“It’s a compressed period during which we expect to do a whole bunch of business,” said Summit domestic distribution president Richard Fay.
It remains to be seen, however, whether “Eclipse” will significantly outperform the $297-million total gross of “New Moon,” or if it will simply be the same “Twilight” fans turning out once again.
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