Matt Fiorentino is the director of marketing for Visible Measures. Previously, Matt was a freelance journalist for the Associated Press, The Dayton Daily News, and The American Magazine. He lives with his wife in Newton, Massachusetts.
With Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 hitting theaters this Friday, this weekend marks the end of a magical era.
Part 2 is the last in the storied series, which has brought in more than $6.4 billion worldwide to date, according to Variety, making it the highest-grossing franchise in history. Suffice to say, box office expectations are high. Now, as we look to the weekend, the question is: Will Harry work his magic once again? We turn to online video for the answer.
SEE ALSO: Harry Potter and the Social Media Surge
In online video, audiences can choose to watch whatever they want, whenever and however they like. In anticipation of a film, audiences will choose to watch multiple trailers, behind-the-scenes clips, interviews with the actors, and more. This provides us with a good indication of how the film will perform at the box office.
Those types of online videos based on past Potter movies have fared very well. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince generated more than 70 million views when it was released in 2009 while The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 generated more than 85 million last year. By comparison, The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has conjured up fewer than 50 million total views.
Does this mean that Part 2 is doomed at the box office? Let’s take a closer look. The Deathly Hallows is unique in the Potter series because it’s the only book that was divided into two films. Trailers for Part 1 generated significant interest when they first surfaced. Part 2 is, obviously, a continuation of Part 1, which may have affected viewership as trailers began rolling out. This unique dynamic between the films gave Part 1 a head start on Part 2, and, because of this, likely captured the majority of views for the pair of films. At two months prior to its release, Part 1 had already generated more than 50 million views. Part 2 had 14 million views at the same point in its release cycle.
Things seem to have changed in the final month before release, though, when promotions really kick in and audiences begin searching for what’s hitting theaters in earnest. Here, Part 2 is looking to be equal to the sequel. The Half-Blood Prince scored 10.9 million views in its final month of promotion before going on to make $77 million its opening weekend. The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 grabbed 22.2 million views before taking home $125 million. Part 2 has seen 20.3 million views in its last month leading up to release.
What does this mean for Part 2‘s opening weekend box office? Part 2 has already made more than $32 million in domestic advanced ticket sales, the most for any film in history, according to Variety. A midnight showing early Friday took in $43.5 million at the midnight box office in North America â the biggest midnight opening of all time. Variety also reports that Part 2 will play at 4,375 locations, making it the franchise’s widest launch. The film will release in IMAX theaters and be available in 3D, both tickets coming at a premium.
The combination of high views, pricey tickets for 3D and IMAX showings and a massive number of locations bode well for Harry’s final bow at the box office. Chances are, it will top its predecessor and surpass $125 million this weekend, a solid closing act for a franchise that has adapted well to the social media age.
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