Twilight Dominates with $70.5 Million

The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend.

Summit Entertainment's Twilight, an adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel, dominated the box office earning an estimated $70.5 million from 3,419 theaters. The opening marks the fourth-biggest ever for the month of November, surpassing this month's earlier releases Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ($63.1 million) and Quantum of Solace ($67.5 million), plus 2004's The Incredibles ($70.467 million), and trailing only the three "Harry Potter" movies that opened this month - "Chamber of Secrets" ($88.4 million), "Sorcerer's Stone" ($90.3 million) and "Goblet of Fire" ($102.7 million). Directed by Catherine Hardwicke from a script by Melissa Rosenberg, the love story between a teenage girl and a vampire averaged an impressive $20,636 per location. The film, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Cam Cigandet, Nikki Reed, Jackson Rathbone and Ashley Greene, was made for just $37 million.

Women accounted for three-quarters of the audience and 55 percent of viewers were under the age of 25, the studio said. With the strong opening of Twilight, Summit this morning officially announced the sequel, New Moon.

Sony/MGM's Quantum of Solace dropped 59.4% from its first weekend to second place, making $27.4 million for a total of $109.5 million. The James Bond film stayed dominant overseas for a fourth straight weekend, earning $40.6 million in 72 markets. "Solace" has reached $309 million overseas and among Bond movies trails only 2006's Casino Royale, which grossed $430 million internationally. The 22nd James Bond film has earned $418.5 million worldwide compared to its budget of $200 million.

In third place, Walt Disney Pictures' new animated comedy adventure Bolt earned $27 million from 3,651 theaters, an average of $7,395. The film features the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Diedrich Bader, Malcolm McDowell and Nick Swardson.

DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa added $16 million in the fourth spot to push its total to $137.4 million after three weeks. The sequel cost about $150 million to make.

Universal Pictures' Role Models rounded out the top five with $7.2 million in its third weeked for a total of $48 million. The Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd comedy cost only $28 million to make.