Twilight Box Office Sales Biggest Ever for a Female Director

Director Catherine Hardwicke at the Los Angeles premiere of "Twilight"

"Twilight" took in $70.6 million at the box office in it's debut weekend, making it the biggest opening ever for a female director.

Director Catherine Hardwicke is thrilled about the success of the film and hopes it will inspire other women and young girls to pursue a career in filmmaking.

Twilight's opening beat the previous record for a female director by a whopping $29.5 million. In 1998 Mimi Leder's "Deep Inpact" took in $41.1 million.

According to Sunday morning estimates, "Twilight," based on Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance novel of the same name, made $20,636 per theater, putting independent film studio Summit Entertainment on the map.

"Twilight" starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, tells the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moves to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her father, and becomes drawn to Edward Cullen, a pale, mysterious classmate who seems determined to push her away. But neither can deny the attraction that pulls them together...even when Edward confides that he and his family are vampires.

Summit Entertainment announced over the weekend that the studio is officially moving forward with production of "New Moon," the second installment in Meyer's modern day vampire series.

photo: Wenn