Having to wait eight months longer than expected to see Harry Potter's next movie certainly got the teen wizard's fans pumped for the first showings, Wednesday morning at 12:01 a.m.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince raked in $22.2 million from the late-late (or is that early-early) screenings, blowing away the $18.5 million record set last year by The Dark Knight, according to BoxOfficeGuru.com.
Making the booty haul even more impressive: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince didn't have many IMAX showings with higher ticket prices that would boost the total. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is booked into most IMAX theaters until later this month when Harry will takeover. That was one hitch in Warner Bros.' decision to move the Potter debut to now, rather than last November when it was originally planned.
Steve Persall is the movie critic for the St. Petersburg Times. He was conceived behind a drive-in movie theater his father operated and raised in projection booths and concession stands. He doesn't care how you did it up north.
Will it pass Transformers?
Posted by: Debt Relief | July 18, 2009 at 02:15 AM
Yes, I did, and was very impressed. Viscerally, it's extraordinarily tense, with bomb-defusing (or whatever happens to them) episodes that churn your gut. I think it lacks just a bit of narrative, some explanation of why the "hero" takes the risks he does. But it has stuck with me since Tuesday, and that's a good sign.
Posted by: Steve Persall | July 16, 2009 at 02:50 PM
Thanks, Steve. Did you attend the screening? Is the movie worthy of all the buzz it is getting?
Posted by: Ken | July 16, 2009 at 09:15 AM
No problem in asking, Ken. Hurt Locker is opening July 24 in Sarasota at Burns Court. There isn't a Tampa Bay date yet but I've been told there will be, and a screening was held here Tuesday, just in case it's a fast booking. I'll let folks know when I know more.
Posted by: Steve Persall | July 16, 2009 at 07:48 AM
Steve, I don't know if this right place to ask this, but when is The Hurt Locker hitting the Tampa Bay Area?
Posted by: Ken | July 15, 2009 at 04:17 PM