Image Credit: Jaap Buitendijk
Sorry, Twihards. In one fell magical-broomstick swoop, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 shattered the records for best midnight debut and largest opening day, both of which were previously held by Twilight films.
According to early estimates, Potter grossed a staggering $ 92.1 million on Friday, crushing The Twilight Saga: New Moon‘s record of $ 72.7 million. And midnight screenings accounted for $ 43.5 million of Potter‘s opening day, surpassing The Twilight Saga: Eclipse‘s $ 30 million midnight tally. To convey how enormous Potter‘s opening day was, consider this: The film collected more money in a single day than the first Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, made its entire first weekend ($ 90.3 million).
It’s now certain that Potter will also capture the opening weekend record, currently held by The Dark Knight with $ 158.4 million. But by how much? If Deathly Hallows — Part 2 follows the trajectory of Deathly Hallows — Part 1, dropping 38 percent on Saturday and 34 percent on Sunday, it’ll finish the weekend with $ 187 million. Part 2 could be more front-loaded than Part 1, but at this point, I dare not underestimate this teenage wizard. Count on an opening weekend of at least $ 180 million.
Potter‘s only blemish whatsoever was its 3-D performance. Only 43 percent of its opening-day figure came from 3-D showings, compared to 60 percent for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Still, 43 percent of a gigantic number is still a very large number. And overseas, Potter has been flat-out enchanting, having earned $ 157.5 million so far. That brings the PG-13 film’s global haul to $ 249.6 million. It’s now on pace to score the biggest worldwide debut of all time, which currently belongs to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with $ 394 million.
Making 3 percent of Potter‘s opening day was Disney’s Winnie the Pooh, which debuted to $ 2.9 million on Friday. Despite being dwarfed by Potter, this is a respectable start for the honey-addicted bear. The G-rated movie should finish the weekend with about $ 9 million. As for holdovers, Transformers: Dark of the Moon finished second, dropping 57 percent for $ 6.3 million. By Sunday, Michael Bay’s action extravaganza should reach $ 300 million domestically. In third was the R-rated comedy Horrible Bosses, which slipped 45 percent for $ 5.5 million. And Zookeeper occupied fourth place, earning $ 3.9 million — a 47-percent decline.
Also, on Friday, Midnight in Paris became Woody Allen’s top-grossing film with $ 40.4 million, passing his 1986 movie Hannah and Her Sisters. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 — $ 92.1 mil
2. Transformers: Dark of the Moon — $ 6.3 mil
3. Horrible Bosses — $ 5.5 mil
4. Zookeeper — $ 3.9 mil
5. Winnie the Pooh — $ 2.9 mil
Box office preview: Harry Potter aims its wand at Twilight and The Dark Knight
