LOS ANGELES: The final installment of the Harry Potter saga, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″, has destroyed previous box office records in the United States and abroad. According to studio estimates, the PG-13 movie collected $168.6 million over the weekend, surpassing “The Dark Knight's” record $158.4 million and giving Warner Bros. the two best opening weekends ever. When adjusted for inflation, Knight would still be king with approximately $173 million in today's ticket prices. “Potter” earned a record $15.5 million at IMAX theaters, according to the large-screen company. The film's conversion to 3-D, however, produced mixed results, as just 43 percent of the movie's debut came from 3-D screens. “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” by comparison, harvested 60 percent of its opening from 3-D showings. It wasn't only in the US that “Potter” was successful. Abroad, where audiences are just becoming used to 3-D, “Potter's” three-dimensional share was a stronger 61 percent. Overall, “Potter” grossed $307 million in 59 countries, surpassing “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' ” $260.4 million for the largest foreign opening of all time. Add in its domestic total and “Potter's” worldwide debut becomes $475.6 million, trouncing the prior all-time benchmark of $394 million set by “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” For “Potter” it isn't just about the money, as it is currently the best-reviewed wide release of the year, according to both Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes. And it received an overall “A” rating from CinemaScore audiences. It hopes to follow “The Return of the King” into movie history by scoring its first Best Picture nod at the next Academy Awards. BM
