"Twilight" sequel falls short of sales forecasts

(Reuters) - The latest "Twilight" movie fell short of its predecessor at the North American box office despite selling a hefty $162 million worth of tickets during its first five days, its distributor said on Sunday.

"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" ranks at No. 7 on the all-time list of five-day openers, but its tally was about $3 million lower than what the previous film in the vampire romance series earned after the same period.

Distributor Summit Entertainment predicted "Eclipse" would end up with a six-day haul of about $181 million after sales for the U.S. Independence Day holiday on Monday were counted.

A day earlier, the studio forecast a six-day tally of $199 million. The previous film, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," earned $179 million in its first six days in November, without the benefit of a holiday.

Summit was unconcerned about the shortfall, noting that "Eclipse" must compete with holiday-related distractions like barbecues and fireworks, and that midweek sales would be strong.

"I think it has a ways to go before we can say it's falling short," said Richie Fay, Summit's president of domestic theatrical distribution.

"Eclipse" follows the continuing romantic adventures of teen Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner).

As usual, female "Twi-hard" fans lined up for days outside theaters before the film opened on Wednesday across the United States and Canada. Top critics liked the film more than they did "New Moon" and the first one, "Twilight," according to Web site Rotten Tomatoes.

For the traditional Friday-to-Sunday period, "Eclipse" earned an estimated $69 million, enjoying a wide lead over the rest of the field.

Opening at No. 2 was the family film "The Last Airbender," from director M. Night Shyamalan. It earned $40.65 million for the three-day period. Including Thursday sales, its total stands at $53.2 million, said distributor Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc.

After two weeks at No. 1, the Pixar cartoon "Toy Story 3" slipped to No. 3 with $30.2 million. Its total rose to $289 million, said Pixar parent Walt Disney Co.

Source:www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6621YD20100704