The Twilight Saga: New Moon took a healthy bite into the box office over the weekend -- no surprise there -- raking in a monstrous $140.7 million. The figure is above what most industry execs expected. Final numbers arrived Monday but it looks like the second film of the popular book series may have the biggest autumn opening weekend in history.
Three reasons why the film cashed in:
Bare-chested Beefcake: Fame, meet Taylor Lautner. Taylor Lautner, meet Fame (and keep your shirt off).
Werewolves vs. Vampires: Robert who? On screen, Mr. Pattinson and his milieu make vampires downright inviting, but in this second film, it's the teenage band of werewolves -- and their back story, which sadly, is not explored enough -- that keep this otherwise tedius outing watchable.
Dysfunctional Relationships Are Attractive? Follow along: A brooding teenage gal, who should be on some meds, falls for an unavailable vamp, all the while avoiding the delicious advances of an available eco-sexual hunky-and-shirtless virgin teen werewolf. Yes. It's a much more warped Romeo & Juliet for the texting generation. I just hate to see the therapy bills in 10 years.
Still hungry for more? Catch up on Twilight here.