‘Eclipse’ Tops Box Office, But Falls Short Of Distributor Predictions

The newest Twilight sequel has earned approximately $162 million in North America since its opening last Wednesday.

Summit Entertainment predicted that the film would earn $173 million in the five-day period after its release, according to BBC News.

Though New Moon, the previous film, made $165 million in its first five days last November, Summit is not too worried about Eclipse’s slower start.

Richie Fay, Summit’s president of domestic distribution, said that ticket sales were affected by the Independence Day holiday over the weekend. He said he expects higher midweek sales for the film.

M. Night Shyamalan’s adaptation of The Last Airbender opened in the number two spot.

The family film exceeded expectations at the box office, earning $40.65 million, despite bad reviews.

Toy Story 3 dropped to number three with $30.2 million after spending two weeks in the top spot.

The Pixar film has earned a total of $289 million so far. It is one of the best reviewed movies of the year.