(Update 11/20 at 4:20pm:)

Twilight ticket sales moving quickly now

Twilight opens at midnight tonight… and movie theaters will be a busy place into the early morning hours.

So far, 15 midnight shows and 1 non-midnight show are sold out amoung the Celebration! Cinema theaters in West Michigan, including 5 midnight shows at Celebration! Mt. Pleasant.   Several other midnight shows are close to selling out.

Ron VanTimmeren, Vice President of Programming for Celebration! Cinema tells me that sales shot up overnight and ticket sales continue to be brisk today.

By comparison, the summer’s big box office blockbuster The Dark Knight had more than 10 theatre sell-outs, it was selling out shows nearly a month before it opened, and also had an IMAX midnight version.

(Originally posted 11/18:)

Getting ready for Twilight

If you’re not already aware of it, get ready for the next big book to movie phenomenon (like the Harry Potter series) that will be huge for tweens.   The excitement for Twilight has been growing for months, from the hundreds of fan sites to the now rapidly increasing sales of tickets.

Twilight opens early Friday morning at 12:01am.

Just like other highly anticipated movies before it, there are midnight shows already selling lots of tickets… but this presale and marketing extravaganza may see numbers that approach those of The Dark Knight.

For example, as of today, Celebration! Cinemas in West Michigan is already reporting 2,000 tickets sold for midnight shows in their circuit of theaters in Grand Rapids.    In a press release, Ron VanTimmeren, Vice President of Programming for Celebration! Cinema says “We expect that number will nearly double by Thursday afternoon.  We will continue adding shows to ensure there is a seat for everyone.” When its all said and done, the theater chain expects to sell out 10 midnight shows in the area.

Twilight is a PG-13 romantic/horror/thriller based on the #1 New York Times Best-Selling book series (more than 17 million books in print) by Stephenie Meyer about a teenage girl who risks everything when she falls in love with a vampire.

Twilight is directed by Catherine Hardwicke

The movie stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke

“Twilight” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment