‘Breaking Dawn Part I’ Breaks Opening Records in U.K., Spain

LONDON – U.K. and Irish distributor Entertainment One has announced that the fourth and penultimate film in The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn – Part I broke records this weekend as it recorded the biggest ever opening for an American film in the U.K. grossing £13.9 million ($21.7 million).

Breaking Dawn Part I also set the record with £6.35 million ($9.93 million) as the biggest non-3D opening Friday figure of all time, eclipsing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I, which grossed £5.9 million ($9.2 million). Including 3D films, this Friday figure has charted as the 2nd highest ever.

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The film has become the biggest 2D opening of 2011 beating the previous record set by The Inbetweeners Movie which took £13.2 million over five days.

Alex Hamilton, director of film, Entertainment One said: “We have the highest three-day opening ever for an American Film in the U.K. I’d like to thank all the fans of Twilight that have given this three-year-old independent distributor a weekend to remember.”

Meanwhile, Breaking Dawn – Part I snagged 62.5 percent of the Spanish box office receipts for its opening weekend, with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, and set a new high for an opening weekend in Spain for 2011.\

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Dawn earned €8.7 million ($11.7 million), out-performing previous top ranked Torrente 4, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Part II). It also becomes the saga’s best opening, passing New Moon‘s €8 million opener.

Dawn‘s opening weekend ranks third overall behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and The DaVinci Code.

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