Harry Potter

Harry Potter gets $61.2-m opening:

 Time Warner Inc’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 had sales of $61.2 million its first day of release in US and Canadian theaters, Hollywood.com Box-Office said.

The seventh movie based on JK Rowling’s books is on track to set an opening weekend record for the film franchise, Hollywood.com said. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, from 2005, holds the record at $102.3 million, the box-office tracker said in an e-mail on Sunday.

Friday’s results “would be a great weekend for most movies,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president, Hollywood.com Box-Office, in an interview. “This is the beginning of the end for the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, and I think that’s drawing more interest.”

Friday’s receipts put the movie at No 5 in terms of single-day sales. The record is held by The Twilight Saga: New Moon with $72.7 million last November, Hollywood.com said.

Dergarabedian estimated the film would earn about $130 million in its opening weekend. The record for a three-day weekend is $158.4 million, set in 2008 by Warner Bros.’ Batman sequel The Dark Knight, according to Box Office Guru.

The franchise ends next July with Deathly Hallows— Part 2.

Deathly Hallows—Part 1 may take in as much as $900 million in worldwide sales during its run in theaters, said Porter Bibb, an analyst with Mediatech Capital Partners in New York.

The film cost about $250 million to make, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Time Warner, parent of Warner Bros., rose 25 cents to $30.76 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading yesterday. The stock has gained 5.6% this year.