The gamble by Warner Brothers appears to have paid off.
Last year, Warner Brothers moved the sixth installment in the “Harry Potter” franchise from November to July, giving the studio a much-needed tentpole movie for the summer season. The move appears to have paid off, at least if the midnight ticket sales are any indication.
According to Variety, the midnight opening of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” rang up $22.2 million in box office receipts Wednesday evening. That’s the highest midnight opening of all time, beating out last year’s “The Dark Knight” which took in $17 million.
Should the trend continue, there is little doubt what this weekend’s number one grossing movie will be.