"Twilight" Attracts Unexpected Audience

(CBS)  The producers of the latest Twilight saga movie, "New Moon," are over the moon over the film's strong opening this weekend. The vampire love story took in just under $141 million, the third biggest weekend opening in movie history.

And to some astonishment, the people standing in line to get in are not all the usual suspects, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes.

Cathy Plume knows she and her friends aren't exactly the target audience for "Twilight."

"We laugh about how silly it is to be captured by this movie," said Plume, who is not exactly a high school student.

The movie is about teenagers and aimed at teenagers. Yet the theaters are filled with 40-somethings like Meg Symington.

"Everybody remembers their high school love, their first crush, the emotion of it all," Symington said. "I think even at our age we can relate to that."

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Vampires in the Movies

Of course, most high school crushes don't involve werewolves or vampires. Twilight's love triangle features both.

Team Edward, he represents the vampires, so if you like bloodsucking, you're on team Edward," explained moviegoer Karl Felix-Hawver. "Then there's team Jacob; he's a werewolf."

The movie's blockbuster opening weekend has taken Hollywood by surprise. The Twilight films are based on a series of best-selling novels, but the new movie grossed more than twice what the first film did during its opening weekend.

New Moon's success started even before dawn Friday. It broke a box office record for midnight showings with $26 million in sales. And then it broke "The Dark Knight's" opening day record, earning $72 million.

Some of that was repeat business.

"I've seen it twice. This will be my third time," said one teenage fan waiting in line.

Rabid teenage fans have turned the lead actors into mega-stars. Eighty percent of the audience has been female. Half are under 21. But that means half are past their teenage years. Sarah Solomon brought her mom Amy - though it didn't take much arm-twisting.

"We both sort of wanted to see it, actually," Sarah said.

Mother Amy added, "My sister just saw it last night and called us and said, 'You gotta go, you gotta go!'"

After fans have their fill of this movie, they'll have to wait awhile for the next chapter in the saga. The third movie opens in June.

[snowangelsid]

This 33 year old loves the books. I thought it was good to see a series that is not souly focused on sex for girls. My son was told by his friends to read the book. He said it was good for girls and gave it to me.

[mari1963]

Twilight is wonderful. I loved the books and the movies are riveting. I hope the romance of Robert and Kristen is true as well. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them.

[sandy19731]

It's a good thing to see a movie marketed toward females instead of males for once.

[aChangeOfIdeas]

A good number of the over-21 crowd went with their daughters! At least that's what I noticed when I took my daughter on Friday night :-) This 43-year old mom enjoyed reading the books and sharing the Bella & Edward saga with her 14 year old. I'll be there for Eclipse in June, too.