WB Set to Cross One Billion Mark as Half-Blood Prince Opens with 3,000 Midnight Showings
HBP Film
Posted by: sue
July 14, 2009, 10:59 PM
The exceptional popularity and box office draw of the Harry Potter films is never more evident tonight than in a new article from Screen Daily which states that "Warner Bros is on the cusp of crossing the $1billion domestic milestone as it launches Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince around the globe." The piece continues to say that Half-Blood Prince "was set to open in approximately 3,000 midnight screenings across
North America on Wednesday. By the end of the weekend it will have
launched in roughly 4,300 theatres. The film is expected to
dominate the box office for several weeks and conservative estimates
have forecast a five-day weekend in the $140m region."
Even more eye opening is the following:
"To date every episode in the highly profitable series has taken more than $249.5m domestically, with Sorcerer’s Stone setting the high-water mark of $317.6m by the end of its run in February 2002.Overseas,
each film in the franchise has consistently scored more than $546m and
a soaring international run would appear to be on the cards yet again
as Warner Bros Pictures International aims to join its domestic
counterpart in the $1bn club. Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix set the overseas record of $646.2m two years ago.
The
film debuts in the UK, Japan, Australia, France, South Korea, Spain,
Italy and Brazil on Wednesday as a prelude to the company’s biggest
day-and-date conventional and IMAX release yet. By the end of the first
weekend it will have opened in more than 14,000 screens in 54 markets
including all the majors, accounting for roughly 85% of total markets."
77 Comments
1166 Points
I believe that the prediction of one billion people going to see HP this morning is more than achievable…. there were tons of people out tonight…. many dressed up and ready to have fun:) Loved the movie!! Loved it…. loved it… loved it!!! Going again:)
72 Points
I just got back too. I thought it was great even though it will never be as good as the book but that would require a 5 hour movie….now i can’t wait until deathy hallows i hope there will be less parts taken out.
143 Points
I just got home from seeing it. I Loved it. I can’t wait to see it on IMAX.
106 Points
I just got back from the midnight showing, and am going again Sunday.
2132 Points
Well, it will never be as good as the book, no movie ever is, but this one was awesome. The best one yet, and yes I will be seeing it again, probably two or three more times at leasts.
62 Points
I can’t believe people actually liked this film. It just boggles my mind.
510 Points
I just got back too! It was packed. The theatre I went to showed it on five screens and they were all completely sold out. Personally I loved this one and I think its one of if not the best yet. Obviously there were still a lot of things I disliked about it like the way there was no funeral so to me it sort of minimized the importance of Dumbledore’s death, but I felt the same way about Sirius’s death in OOTP. As a book fan there are always going to be plenty of things like that I don’t like, but the book is the book and the movie is the movie. Its not the same. I really tried this time around to truly keep that in mind while watching it and I was able to enjoy it so much more instead of analyzing every single change, flaw, addition, ect like I did with OOTP. That said it was a fantastic film and I plan to see it at least two or three more times once the IMAX 3D version is released. I still dislike WB because of the delay, but I really really hope HBP has record breaking sales and is at least the top grossing film in 2009 so we can show all the haters/critics/media that we’re not and never will be bored with HP and our fandom isn’t dead yet. I just really would like to see us completely prove wrong all of the bad press over last 2 years questioning if “potter has lost its magic” and saying that its popularity has faded away.
I thought the movie was great! There were some scenes that were cut out that kinda disappointed me, but I know they can’t put all of the scenes in!! If you don’t like the movie then fine, you still have the books! I understand that people want the movies to be just like the books but that is not going to happen!! I personally would like a movie that is different than the book, because then we get more scenes that we don’t have in the books which basically gives us more content! And if a movie doesn’t have scenes from the book, it doesn’t mean those scenes are gone!! We just don’t see them in the movie! They are still in the book for us to read!! It is not like the books are just going to vanish and all we are left with are the movies!! I have personally liked all of the movies!! But hey, it is your opinion! I am just stating mine!!
Spoilers
There was a scene from Deathly Hallows when Snape and Dumbledore where talking on the astronomy tower about how Snape didn’t know if he wanted to do it anymore! If you have read the books you will know what I mean!! that was really the biggest problem for me! They gave too much about Snape away, but they also covered it up by Harry thinking Snape lied to Dumbledore the whole time which probably made people who didn’t read the books think that too!
148 Points
“Imperial Biografen” in Copenhagen (1102 seats) are currently 89% sold out for the 5 friday screenings, the first showing at 1AM. the 6.30PM screening have only 15 sets available. If all screenings are sold out that would be approximately 5510×100,- = 551000,-DKK (72.778,67EURO, 62.295,08£ or 100.930,54$) on one day in just one theatre :-O oh my!
241 Points
Haha anyone still boycotting because they moved the film date from last Autumn? I doubt it lol :P I’m seeing it on Friday :D :D
Just went to the half blood prince and am very sad to say I did not enjoy it one bit. I feel it let Harry Potter down as it did not go with the story at all
135 Points
going to the matinee at noon, its a tradition. no funeral huh? I’ll be ranting later today…
368 Points
It was amazing!!!!!!!!! I won’t be suprized if they achesve their goal of a one billion dollers :)
337 Points
I will be going a couple times.
518 Points
The Half- Blood Prince is out today!!!! YAY!
I believe that the prediction of one billion people going to see HP this morning is more than achievable…. there were tons of people out tonight…. many dressed up and ready to have fun:) Loved the movie!! Loved it…. loved it… loved it!!! Going again:)