'Twilight' Poised to Thrive in Tough Times

From Books to Movies

Still, "Twilight" will be the one to watch, box office-wise. "It's so remarkably resonant amongst its audience," said Zeitchik, "and that can definitely radiate outward. It's not just a book, it's not just a movie, it's really a phenomenon, and all the elements will continue to play off each other."

In the case of "Twilight," several factors come into play. "The timing is right. The first book came out in 2005, and so, if you were 13 or 14 when you read it, you're still in your teens now," said Blender's Levy. "So you haven't outgrown the series yet and you'll definitely go see the film."

"With an audience this young and fervent, the other thing you'll get is repeat customers. And the third thing is that it can work in a few different genres -- it's a teen movie, it's a date movie, but they've also, very smartly, played up the action sequences, so the guys won't be as reluctant to go see it. So it's already a hit and it hasn't even come out yet!"