New Moon debuted last night to record-breaking box office numbers amid mixed reviews.
The Twilight saga’s second installment grossed $72.7 million on Friday, breaking the single day sales record of $62.2 million previously held by “The Dark Knight.”
The vampire movie also eclipsed “Star Wars — Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” as the Top Advance Ticket Seller of All-Time.
Summit Entertainment estimates the film, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, earned $26.3 million from midnight screenings alone, overtaking “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” which earned $22.2 million at late-night screenings earlier this year.
Meanwhile, reviews were mixed.
“‘New Moon’ pales in comparison to ‘Twilight’.”
Kenneth Turan for the Los Angeles Times:
“The movie misses Robert Pattinson…and Catherine Hardwicke”
“Thanks to Lautner and newly-recruited director Chris Weitz, “New Moon” is a notable improvement over “Twilight.”
Roger Ebert for Chicago Sun-Times:
“The characters in this movie should be arrested with intent to moan. Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start.”
“Werewolves inject life into “New Moon” but the sequel still sputters.”
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