showbiz

'Harry Potter' franchise shows no sign of slowing

Posted on Monday, July 20, 2009
by Associated Press

Harry Potter

NEW YORK (AP) - Even after a half-dozen films, Harry Potter continues to prove he's a sorcerer in the dark.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth movie installment of J.K. Rowling's book series, took in more than $158 million at the box office over its first five days, a sum that's a little lower than initial estimates but still a much bigger haul than its predecessor.

The last movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, grossed $139.7 million domestically in its first five days two years ago.

"It shows that the franchise is as hot as it's ever been," said Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com. "It's very rare to find a franchise that is as relevant and as popular in the sixth installment."

Both the fifth and sixth films opened in July and with shows that began shortly after midnight on a Wednesday. Half-Blood Prince conjured up 13 percent more cash and had 6 percent more tickets sold. Ticket prices have gone up 7 percent in the past two years.

The latest film is on its way to becoming the franchise's first $300 million domestic smash since the original movie, 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Distributor Warner Bros. originally planned to release Half-Blood Prince last November but bumped it to 2009 to take advantage of an open weekend in Hollywood's busy summer schedule. Pent-up demand - Potter fans this time had to wait the longest between installments - fed a flurry of tickets for the earliest showings.

Pandya said he wouldn't be surprised if Half-Blood Prince finishes near the $950 million mark worldwide and he thinks it could even break the $1 billion mark - something only four other films have accomplished. (The first Potter film fell a little short of the mark.)

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