'Twilight' boffo with $283 mil worldwide

'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 1'Summit's "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" scored a whopping $283.5 million worldwide opening, of which an estimated $139.5 million came from Stateside plexes -- not a franchise best, but nothing to sneer at.On a global scale, the film debuted just behind "New Moon," which grossed $296.6 million during its first weekend worldwide. That pic opened in the U.S. with $142.8 million in three days. (The franchise's third offering "Eclipse" bowed mid-week last year, earning $157.6 million domestically in its first five days, with a global debut of $300.5 million.)Warner Bros.' 3D "Happy Feet Two," meanwhile, drastically underperformed its predecessor, bowing to an estimated $22 million vs. the 2D original's $41.5 million opening.The toon may have lost some of its female audience to "Breaking Dawn," especially moms taking teens and tween girls.Budgeted for a reported $135 million, "Happy Feet Two" should have better luck with family auds next weekend, though it also faces a crowded field as three other family pics bow nationwide. As a more successful counterprogramming bid, Fox Searchlight's "The Descendants" broke into the domestic B.O.'s top ten with an estimated three-day take of $1.2 million. Pic launched limited on Wednesday, before expanding to a total 29 locations two days later. Searchlight plans to give the film a significant push over Thanksgiving weekend, with an additional approximately 400 playdates set to bow Nov. 23. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com