"Skyfall" falls to No. 2, but cracks the half-billion overseas gross mark to become the biggest Bond ever; "Flight" under
the radar in one-market foreign opening.
Opening at 12,845 locations in 62 overseas markets, Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 virtually sucked the box office
oxygen out of the foreign theatrical circuit with a debut gross of $199.8 million – the biggest offshore opening launch
of the year.
The weekend take easily beats the opening of last year’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I, which drew an
estimated $144 million at about 9,950 locations in 54 overseas markets. To get an idea of just how big this weekend’s
action was, Breaking Dawn 2’s debut tally matches the entire foreign box office of series original, 2008’s Twilight.
Also, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 broke franchise records at the international box office at the weekend, grossing
a massive $340.9 million world wide. Local ticket sales of $12.4 million were fractionally up on Breaking Dawn Part 1's
$12.1 million opening weekend last November but well down on New Moon, which sucked up a whopping $16.1 million in 2009.
The fifth and final filmin the vampire franchise performed similarly in the US -- missing New Moon's opening record of
$142.8 million but topping Part I's $138.1 million. Breaking Dawn Part 2, however, scored exceptionally well in exit polls.
It was the highest rated and recommended of all the Twilight films, according to Deadline.com. It also had the highest
percentage of male audiences (21 per cent).
