Harry Potter 7

Harry Potter 7 (hollywood.com)

Don’t underestimate the power of a young wizard!

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ led the worldwide box office, as it remained the No. 1 movie over Thanksgiving weekend, with an estimated $50.3 million Friday-Sunday gross.

Distributor Warner Bros. said that the seventh movie from J.K. Rowling’s popular books sold $163.5 million worth of tickets globally, and after two weekends, the worldwide total stands at about $610 million. Furthermore, with a $125 million opening weekend, “Deathly Hallows” had the biggest start yet for the franchise about the young wizard. Its 10-day total also surpasses the previous high of $201 million set by “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” and last year’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.”

But Harry Potter should cast more spells if it wants to stay on top, because Walt Disney’s 3D cartoon “Tangled” is following closely behind. The fairy tale earned $49.1 million for the three days, far exceeding industry forecasts. The movie, which also known as “Rapunzel,” raised its five-day total to $69 million since opening the day before Thanksgiving, and became the second-biggest Thanksgiving opener on record for Disney, behind “Toy Story 2.”

Disney distribution president Chuck Viane said the film, with Mandy Moore providing the voice of fairy-tale princess Rapunzel, played strongly with families, and many little girls dressed up as princesses for the occasion. Internationally, “Tangled” earned $13.8 million after opening at No. 1 in six of seven markets. Russia led the way with $7.5 million, a record for a Disney cartoon. It adds eight markets next weekend, including France and Italy.

Quite different than “Tangled,” three other new wide releases had so-so openings, although all three performed to the expectations of their respective studios. Christina Aguilera and Cher’s musical “Burlesque” sat at No. 4 with $11.8 million for the weekend and a five-day total of $17.2 million since premiering Wednesday. It shared the No. 4 spot with the three-week-old action movie “Unstoppable,” each reporting about $11.8 million for the three-day period.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway’s romance “Love & Other Drugs” debuted at No. 6 with a three-day haul of $9.9 million and a total of $14 million since opening Wednesday, while Dwayne Johnson’s action thriller “Faster” opened at No. 7 with $8.7 million for the weekend and $12.2 million since its Wednesday debut.

Here’s a complete list of the weekend’s top-grossing films, with estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday according to Hollywood.com:
1. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” $50.3 million.
2. “Tangled,” $49.1 million.
3. “Megamind,” $12.9 million.
4. “Burlesque,” $11.8 million.
5. “Unstoppable,” $11.75 million.
6. “Love & Other Drugs,” $9.9 million.
7. “Faster,” $8.7 million.
8. “Due Date,” $7.3 million.
9. “The Next Three Days,” $4.8 million.
10. “Morning Glory,” $4 million.

Congrats again, Harry Potter… and good job, Rapunzel!

the power of 7 in harry potter