We guess people really like New Moon, the sequel to the vampire romancer Twilight because the Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart helmed movie nabbed over US$140.7 million over the weekend with showings in over four thousands cinemas in the States.

Hollywood rag Variety reports on the international end, the sequel to the Twilight saga raked in over US$118.1 million in 26 territories giving the movie a whopping US$258.8 million paycheck.

New Moon's highest opening day take-in was US$72 million on Friday beating last year's record holder The Dark Knight by over US$5 million. However Dark Knight still holds the opening-weekend record of US$158.4 million.

Following close behind New Moon is the Sandra Bullock drama The Blind Side which took in an estimate US$34.5 million followed by the animated Sony movie, Planet 51 which debuted to US$12.6 million.

In related New Moon news, Kellan Lutz, who plays Emmett Cullen, rubbished reports he and Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen) are in a gay romance.

The rumours started when a picture of them holding hands surfaced. “It's the naked (photo) of us in the bubble bath that would really get us in trouble!” joked Lutz on Eonline.com saying that the picture was a joke and that neither of them were romantically involved with the other.

Facinelli too said the rumours were amusing writing on his Twitter blog, “Co-stars caught holding hands … guess this picture proves everything.”

The actor, who is happily married to actress Jennie Garth said, “We're just friends. It's weird how rumours get started. You're holding hands with a friend and the next day the rumours begin.”

Facinelli explained: “We were coming off a plane in April and the paparazzi were all over us so we were just being goofy. If they wanted a circus, we were going to give them a good show.”