Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows whopping $24 million from midnight screenings
Most awaited Movie Harry Potter has added to his billions with a whopping $24 million domestic haul from midnight screenings of his latest adventure.A boy wizard is set to cast a box office spell this weekend as ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1’ prepares to unleash the magic.
According to box-office tracker Hollywood.com, that puts "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" third in the record books for midnight debuts, behind the last two "Twilight" movies: last summer's "Eclipse" with $30 million and 2009's "New Moon" with $26.3 million.
The beginning of the end is at hand as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 kicks off the two part denouement of the most successful movie franchise of all-time. As if there is any doubt as to what will be the No. 1 film this weekend, Warner Bros.’ latest release looks to conjure opening weekend numbers approaching $120 million and possibly higher and in the process set a new ‘Potter’ record. 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the only film in the series thus far to open in excess of $100 million having earned $102.7 million in its first three days back in 2005. A true “event” film in every sense of the word, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 will draw massive crowds to the multi-plex as this decade-long, epic adventure draws to close. A great marketing campaign, off-the-chart audience awareness, midnight showings and a record number of IMAX screens, ensure that this weekend will see 'Potter Mania' hit a fever pitch.
"Deathly Hallows" outdid the last installment in the franchise about the young wizard, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which took in $22.2 million in its midnight debut last year.
The big start portends an opening weekend well over $100 million, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
That would make it only the second of the seven "Harry Potter" films so far to top $100 million domestically in its first weekend. The first was "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," with $102.7 million in 2005.
Worldwide, the franchise has taken in nearly $5.5 billion in theatrical revenue since the first film debuted in 2001.
The latest film is based on the first part of J.K. Rowling's seventh and final "Harry Potter" novel. The finale, "Deathly Hallows: Part 2," is due out next July.