'Potter' opening breaks midnight record
Harry Potter fans Laura Nolan, 13, and her sister Melissa, 16, are dressed in costume at the Harry Potter Pandemonium event at the Port Jefferson Public Library to mark the end of the movie series. (July 14, 2011) Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" broke the record for a midnight opening, taking in a whopping $43.5 million in the wee hours of Friday morning.
The final film in the decade-long Potter franchise far surpassed the previous midnight record holder, last summer's "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," which pulled in $30 million.
The magic seems likely to continue through the weekend. "Potter" is playing at 4,375 theaters, the third-widest release ever, and faces virtually no new competition except for Disney's animated "Winnie the Pooh" feature. Premium ticket prices for 3-D and IMAX screenings may help boost the "Potter" finale's overall gross as well. The film will play at 274 IMAX theaters -- another record -- and has already grossed $2 million from those screens, according to TheWrap.com.
Overwhelmingly positive reviews and strong word-of-mouth could also pull casual fans, and perhaps even non-fans, back to the "Potter" fold.
Earlier this week, the movie tracking site BoxOffice.com predicted that "Potter" would take in $151 million over the weekend. The record-holder for the biggest opening weekend, with $158.4 million, is 2008's "The Dark Knight."
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