Written by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub

While everyone is debating how much money “Twilight” is going to make this weekend, there is no denying it’s final box office number will be a major surprise to most of the industry. That’s because as of noon today, “Twilight” is currently #6 on advance tickets sold all time on Fandango.

Of course Fandango is doing much better advance sales now than in previous years, so it’s like comparing the box office of “Star Wars” in 1977 to “The Phantom Menace” in 1999. But being #6 is still impressive, and it should carry over to a very big number this weekend.

And while no one actually knows what the final number is going to be, I’ve heard anywhere from $30 million to $60 million….which shows that no one has any real idea how the “Twilight” phenomenon is going to pay out in actual box office money. But it's really looking like it might be much higher than everyone expected. Myself included.

Anyway, here’s what Fandango just sent me:

Here are the latest stats on Twilight, as of 12 noon PT today

• Twilight has joined the list of Top Ten Advance Ticket-Sellers, covering all theatrical releases in Fandango’s eight-year history. Twilight currently occupies the seventh spot (see full list below); the film may break into the top five before its opening.
• Nearly 600 of the film’s Thursday midnight show times are already sold out.
• 94% of Fandango’s daily ticket sales are for this one film;
• 83% of respondents to a Fandango Twilight survey claim they will see the movie more than once.
• 25% of respondents claim they will see Twilight with their moms or daughters.

"It's a surprise to find such encouragingly strong advance ticket sales for an independent film with no established box office stars from a relatively newly-established studio”, says Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer of Fandango. “While Twilight’s current position may not necessarily reflect the film’s eventual box office ranking, the solid advance ticket sales are clearly a tribute to the passion of the online fans. Because so many of our midnight screenings are sold out, the movie might boost coffee sales on the following morning.”

The Top Ten Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango.com (as of 11/19/08 12 noon PT):

1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

2. The Dark Knight (2008)

3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

5. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007)

6. Hannah Montana 3D (2008)

7. Twilight (2008)

8. Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

9. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

10. Sex and the City (2008)