A mostly female crowd at the DVD release of 'New Moon'
(Image credit: Getty)

The critically savaged vampire sequel, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," sucked up $140.7 million at the box office this weekend, the third biggest opening ever, behind "Dark Knight" and "Spider Man 3." What's noteworthy: The vast majority of ticket buyers were female — a demographic usually "overlooked by studios — and the movie's pre-release buzz was driven by "fangirls" (the female equivalent of the male movie-nerd bloggers who have proven their ability to make or break a film). Will this change Hollywood's sexist strategies?

This is a game-changer: "New Moon"'s message isn't exactly pro-female, says Melissa Silverstein in WomenandHollywood.com, but "the fact that a film fueled by woman power and starring a woman" has done so well at the box office is a "huge triumph." If the studio execs fail to tap into this neglected market, "their shareholders should have them fired."

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