From left: Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in the movie, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'. - CONTRIBUTED
LOS ANGELES, (Reuters):
THE NEW Harry Potter movie, the fourth in a series about a boy wizard, sold an estimated US$101.4 million worth of tickets in its first three days of release across North America, making it the fourth-largest opening ever, the distributor said yesterday.
The tally for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was much better than the first three Potter films, said Warner Bros. Pictures. To date, the best performer was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which kicked off with US$93.7 million in June 2004.
The distributors said they had hoped the new film would open in the US$90 million range. Results were boosted by glowing reviews, as well as a strong turnout from older audiences, said Dan Fellman, president of domestic theatrical distribution at Warner Bros.
The record for a three-day opening is held by Spider-Man, which bowed with US$115 million in 2002. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith began with US$108.4 million earlier this year, just ahead of Shrek 2 with US$108 million in 2004.
The new Harry Potter film, based on the book by British author J.K. Rowling, stars 16-year-old Daniel Radcliffe in the title role. The movie was directed by Mike Newell, best known for the 1994 comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the first Englishman to take the helm of the series.
The film also opened around the world over the weekend, but sales figures were not immediately available.
Box office listings
1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - US$101,425,000
2. Walk the Line -
US$22,400,000
3. Chicken Little -
US$14,769,000
4. Derailed - US$6,526,000
5. Zathura - US$5,100,000
6. Jarhead - US$4,790,000
7. Get Rich or Die Tryin' -
US$4,375,000
8. Saw 2 - US$3,900,000
9. The Legend of Zorro -
US$2,300,000
10. Pride and Prejudice -
US$2,112,000
