MUMBAI: The Twilight Saga: New Moon got off to a flying start overseas, opening at the number one position in France grossing $4.4m from 751 screens and drawing 488,000 on its first day.

Reports from Australia say that the film was the highest grossing midnight screening since Star Wars: Episode 3's $1.2m in May 2005, fetching $1.6m from 466 by the end of its first day.

In Italy the film grossed $2.7m from 625 last Wednesday, making the film the third highest Wednesday launch ever behind Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix.

Spain generated $2.2m from 652 screens in what was also the third highest Wednesday launch, trailing only Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix and Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.