Box Office Report: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Earns $30.3 Mil in Midnight Runs

Summit Entertainment's The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 1 grossed $30.3 million in midnight runs as fans rushed to see the second-to-last installment in the blockbuster franchise.our editor recommends'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1' Black Carpet Premiere ArrivalsRed Carpet's Top 10: Twilight: Breaking Dawn Premiere'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Wedding Invitation Designer Revealed (Exclusive) PHOTOS: 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1' Black Carpet Premiere Arrivals The movie began playing in 3,251 theaters at 12:01 a.m. Friday, before moving into a total of 4,061 locations by mid-morning. Breaking Dawn narrowly set a new franchise record, coming in slightly ahead of the $30 million earned by The Twilight Saga: Eclipse in midnight runs in summer 2010, and notably ahead of the $26.3 million earned by The Twilight Saga: New Moon two years ago on the same weekend. Until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 came along this summer, the last two Twilight pics set records for best midnight performance. This summer, Deathly Hallows earned a massive $43.6 million in midnight grosses. Breaking Dawn now stands at No. 2 in terms of all-time midnight best. PHOTOS: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn': New Images From the Pentultimate Film in the Saga The movie's midnight performance suggests it will have no problems matching, or even besting, the $142.8 million debut of New Moon. PHOTOS: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon': A Behind-the-Scenes Look Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner, Breaking Dawn was directed by Bill Condon. As of Thursday, Breaking Dawn had already earned $8.9 million from a handful of foreign markets. Related Topics Robert Pattinson Taylor Lautner Box Office Twilight Kristen Stewart