NEW MOON SMASHES MIDNIGHT BOX OFFICE RECORD

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Twilight fans turned out in force on Thursday night to help New Moon smash a box office record - the sequel earned a staggering $26.27 million overnight in the U.S. and Canada alone.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon debuted at midnight on Thursday (19/20Nov09) at 3,514 cinemas across North America to accommodate die-hard devotees of the franchise, some of whom had waited in line for hours to catch the second adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's vampire novels.

The huge box office haul smashes the previous record for midnight takings, set by Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince with $22 million.

Oth er top overnight performers are The Dark Knight with $18.5 million, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith with $16.9 million, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen with $16 million.