The Dark Knight Harry Potter breaks TDK's midnight screening record!

[ChrisB]

Warner Bros. Pictures' Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince earned an estimated $22.2 million for its 3,003 midnight screenings, beating the $18.5 million midnight runs by the studio's own The Dark Knight and the $16.9 million earned by Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=57179

 

[El Payaso]

Well, Hocus Pocus... or whatever a magic Harry Potter spell goes.

 

[Mr. Earle]

I dont have a problem with it... I just think the franchise is overrated... Just like twilight. Shallow stories and thousands of cliches by hack writers who make millions out of this.

 

[The Joker]

Given how lousy the movies this summer have been overall, it's not that surprising.

 

[Caped Crusader]

It wont pass TDK for 2nd.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

it'll make bank, but wont challenge dark knight's spot. i mean, not one bit. maybe it'll make like, 500,000,000,000 bucks but, i dont think it'll challenge tdk

 

[ChrisB]

it'll make bank, but wont challenge dark knight's spot. i mean, not one bit. maybe it'll make like, 5,000,000 bucks but, i dont think it'll challenge tdk

I think you forgot a few zeros...

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

fixed!

 

[BestGirl]

At least TF2 didn't break it.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

i'd be pretty disappointed it if did..

 

[DarkReflections]

while i love the harry potter series, i have to say im not surprised either. its been slow with films like harry potter that reach out to wider audiences because of its rating. after all the only films that came out so far for the summer is transformers 2, and public enemies.

 

[Ibn]

Good. I hope it breaks them all.

 

[TheGlassPrison]

It doesn't bother me either, nor is it surprising considering it's PG rating, in addition to the quality and quantity of 2008's summer action films as compared to this years. Plus, the economic climate is worse this year, which historically has meant audiences flock to the cinemas for cheap, escapist entertainment.

RT Scores for 2009 action films before Harry Potter:
Star Trek - 95%
Terminator Salvation - 32%
Transformers: ROTF - 19%
X-men Origins: Wolverine - 36%

Average Score: 45%


Scores for 2008 action films before The Dark Knight:
Iron Man - 93%
Speed Racer - 36%
Wanted - 72%
Hancock - 39%
The Incredible Hulk - 66%
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army - 87%
Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - 66%
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - 76%

Average Score: 67%

 

[FlawlessVictory]

I expected an HP film to take down some of TDK's records, I just didn't expect it to be this one. With all the big movies opening in the next few years, it will be interesting to see if a movie can hold onto certain records for more than a year. Considering how close Transformers 2 came to setting the midnight record and 5 day record, I expect Iron Man 2 to challenge both those records. The only thing hurting IM2 is it is opening in May. The midnight screenings get hurt because you still have classes in session.

The Avengers and Spider-Man 4 also open in May so that makes it more difficult to break these records as well. What makes this HP6 record even more impressive is the fact that it has yet to open IMAX. TDK opened in conventional theaters and IMAX at the same time and a portion of that TDK gross was from the higher priced IMAX screenings. And HP6 broke the record by $4 mil. That is remarkable. Will be interesting to see if the 5 day will now be broken.

HP7(Parts 1 & 2) will be ridiculous. I can't imagine what the midnight and 5 day records will be for those.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Well, pay attention to what it makes in it's two days over the weekend. Smart releasing it for five days.

Do I have a problem? No. This thing is a monster and the next films will be even bigger. Hell, I think they'll stand next to TDK records wise.

 

[Yurka]

Misleading thread title, it may have beat the midnight record, but as to the other 23462345 records that TDK made, including passing 1 billion, the wizard wont come close.

 

[ultimatefan]

Break one record in the sprint is easy, it´s the marathon that counts. Transformers 2 broke a record in the opening, but now it´s pretty behind TDK.

 

[CristiMAN]

Well, pay attention to what it makes in it's two days over the weekend. Smart releasing it for five days.

Do I have a problem? No. This thing is a monster and the next films will be even bigger. Hell, I think they'll stand next to TDK records wise.

Box office record are made to be broken. And those records dont take my sleep away. TDK was unique in being a BO smash hit AND an amazing piece of cinema. The last summer was unique. And it will be a long time until another GREAT movie does that. Pirates, Transformers or Potters are just popcorn summer flicks. The Dark Knight was something unique. It was an instant classic film. My two cents...

 

[EHTNAMTAB]

i don't like a film on the basis of it's box office! it dont matter to me

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

Break one record in the sprint is easy, it´s the marathon that counts. Transformers 2 broke a record in the opening, but now it´s pretty behind TDK.

yeah, but transformers 2 was crap.

 

[ultimatefan]

^So was the first and that didn´t stop people from going to see either, sadly.

I´m sure HP6 will pull huge numbers, easily. Beat TDK is a whole other game.

 

[VenomVsSpidey]

^So was the first and that didn´t stop people from going to see either, sadly.

I´m sure HP6 will pull huge numbers, easily. Beat TDK is a whole other game.

eh, i thoroughly enjoyed TF1, i didnt praise it like everyone else in the world, but still good fun. TF2 i was fighting to just walk out of the theater after 45 minutes.

 

[Fresh Prince]

Misleading thread title, it may have beat the midnight record, but as to the other 23462345 records that TDK made, including passing 1 billion, the wizard wont come close.

Agreed.

 

[Anita18]

The Avengers and Spider-Man 4 also open in May so that makes it more difficult to break these records as well. What makes this HP6 record even more impressive is the fact that it has yet to open IMAX. TDK opened in conventional theaters and IMAX at the same time and a portion of that TDK gross was from the higher priced IMAX screenings. And HP6 broke the record by $4 mil. That is remarkable. Will be interesting to see if the 5 day will now be broken.

IMAX only added a little more than half a million to TDK's midnight numbers. Now since they're adding fake IMAXes, it could have helped HP6 a little more.

I can't say I'm all THAT surprised. It's Harry Potter - midnight showings were made for this kind of fandom. (HP and Star Wars, definitely.) Those series have had time to accumulate a devoted following, and HP has the book fans as well. The fact that TDK managed a high midnight number by accumulating fans purely on a single movie's pre-release hype is a bit more .

Harry Potter has always been a very frontloaded series, due to the fans coming out in droves on opening week. The signs are already showing - ridiculous midnight number but didn't even beat TF2's record-setting Wednesday.

 

[Fresh Prince]

The Avengers and Spiderman 4 has a chance to break some DK records.