After months of waiting, muggles anxious to see the sixth installment in the “Harry Potter” franchise finally got their chance last weekend. And judging by the box-office receipts, they turned out in large numbers.
“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” took in just under $80 million at the box-office over the weekend and has sold close to $160 million in tickets since it opened Wednesday.
Those totals should ensure that the franchise continues its streak of making at least $250 million per picture.
“Our biggest audience was 8- to 10-year-olds when we started all this,” says Dan Fellman of Warner Bros., which distributes the pictures.
“They’ve grown up on the films,” Fellman says. “And they haven’t lost any of their passion.”
And the movie could get a solid bounce in a few weeks when it opens on IMAX screens.
Meanwhile, “Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” continued to do well, dropping just 36% from last week and taking in $17.7 million. “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” was third with “Bruno” and “The Hangover” rounding out the top five.
