"Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2" makes 30.4 million from Thursday night and midnight screenings

As expected, “The Twilight Saga” seems on track to go out on a bright note financially: “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” the fifth and final film based on Stephenie Meyer’s paranormally popular book series grossed an estimated $30.4 million from midnight and 10 p.m. Thursday showtimes, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

That haul is slightly higher than the midnight-only grosses for “Breaking Dawn – Part 1″ ($30.25 million) and “Eclipse” ($30.1 million) and noticeably better than the take for “New Moon” ($26.3 million).

The box-office tracking notes that opening at 10 p.m. Thursday made it easier for younger members of the series’ tween- and teen-skewing audience to turn out in droves, so the $30.4 million figure is probably going to make up a larger portion of opening day than past midnight-only hauls.

If “Breaking Dawn – Part 2″ follows the course of its predecessor, the finale should take in about $140 million by Sunday.

To read my review of “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” click here.

-BAM