Harry Potter on ‘Fire’ at box office

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The new “Harry Potter” movie, the
fourth in a series about a boy wizard, sold an estimated $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 on Sunday.

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 $93.7
million in June 2004.

The Time Warner Inc.-owned studio said it had hoped the new
film would open in the $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 $115 million in 2002. “Star Wars: Episode III
– Revenge of the Sith” began with $108.4 million earlier this
year, just ahead of “Shrek 2″ with 108 million in 2004.

The new “Harry Potter” film, based on the book by British
author J.K. Rowlings, 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
sale figures were not immediately available.