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Harry Potter on 'Fire' at box office

Posted on: Sunday, 20 November 2005, 12:43 CST

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.

Source: REUTERS

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