Potter makes $104m on first day

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Daniel Radcliffe (left) is back as Harry in the latest Potter adventure

The latest Harry Potter film made more than $100 million on its first day on worldwide release, distributor Warner Bros has announced.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the fantasy series, opened in 20 countries on Wednesday, making $104m (£63.7m) in cinemas.

The movie performed particularly well in the UK, taking more than £4.7m ($7.6m) from 1,305 screens.

Only two other films have opened more strongly in the UK and Ireland.

Domestic box office takings for the sixth Potter movie topped the £3m made by the third outing in its first day in 2004.

'Outstanding'

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban previously held the record for the most successful film to open in the UK on a Wednesday.

Half-Blood Prince took $58.2m (£35.7m) in the US and Canada - a tally that included a record $22.2m (£13.6m) from midnight screenings.

The only other movie to fare better from a Wednesday debut in North America is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which opened last month with a $62m (£38m) haul.

"These outstanding box office numbers are another testament to the universal appeal of JK Rowling's stories," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, Warner Bros president of international distribution.

"We owe this record-breaking opening to the remarkable fans who have stood by us and who stood in line to be among the first to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," added studio president Alan Horn.

source