Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 not only set a box office record for midnight showings, it absolutely shattered opening day box office records.
The film grossed a jaw-dropping $92.1 million in the U.S. on Friday. That’s not only the biggest opening-day draw of all time, it’s the highest-grossing single day in U.S. box office history.
Worldwide, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is also breaking box office records. The film has already grossed more than $157.5 million internationally, breaking opening-day records in the UK and Mexico.
Box Office Mojo puts the figures in perspective:
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 took in 50% more on its first day than the previous Potter film, Deathly Hallows Part 1, back in November. At the time, the $61.7 million opening day was a franchise high. With 1.5x the gross, Deathly Hallows Part 2 clearly sets the record.
- Deathly Hallows Part 2 also outstripped past films in terms of estimated attendance.
- When you subtract the record braking $43.5 million midnight gross from the total day figures, you’re still left with $48.6 million for the rest of the day. This, in and of itself, beats the midnight free gross for every other film, with the exception of The Dark Knight (which took in $48.7 million sans midnight totals).
- The first day ticket receipts alone beat every other weekend opening for 2011, with the exception of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
The eight and final Harry Potter film is expected to easily best The Dark Knight as the biggest opening weekend of all time. In 2008, The Dark Knight took in $158.4 million in its opening weekend.
Of course, a big factor in Deathly Hallows Part 2‘s boffo ticket sales are the fact that the film was released in 3D. Although 3D tickets only accounted for 45% of the box office gross (as compared to 60% for Transformers: Dark of the Moon), the number of 3D screens available is unmatched by any other new film. Moreover, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 opened in 4,375 locations and on 11,000 screens.
Warner Bros. embraced social media in a big way in the promotion of Deathly Hallows Part 2. In addition to running significant campaigns on Facebook and Twitter, the studio also reached out to fan sites and created YouTube videos to promote the film.
What did you think of Deathly Hallows Part 2? Let us know in the comments.
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