Warner Bros. Pictures' "Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince" continued to impress at the box office this weekend with an estimated $79.4 million take. "Half-Blood Prince," the sixth offering of the franchise debuted on Wednesday with a record-breaking $22.2 million from midnight showings alone before ending the day with $58 million pulled in. Film has now grossed just under $160 million.
This is the second lowest opening for the franchise, besting the previous film "Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix" but "low" has nothing to do with it. Almost every previous film has posted over from worldwide numbers, bringing the total worldwide take of the franchise to now over $4.48 billion. With the new "Potter" now sitting at $396 million worldwide, the franchise will easily pass the $5 billion mark, a remarkable feat for the J.K. Rowling adaptations.
Second-placed "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" kept going strongly with a small 36% change when posting $17.7 million in its third weekend at play. The animated comedy/adventure has amassed over $152 million thus far.
Parmount Pictures' Gargantuan "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" passed the $350 million mark with ease with a third-placed $13.7 million grossed in it's fourth weekend at play.
Taking the biggest box office beating of all films was "Brüno." The film turned in $8.37 million, showing a huge drop of 73% in it's sophomore weekend. Total for the Sacha Baron Cohen laffer is now at $49.5 million.
Successful crowd-pleasing male comedy "The Hangover" barely moved with a slight 16% change in its seventh weekend with $8.31 earned and may turn the tables on "Brüno" when actual figures come in on Monday night.
Details on MovieJungle.com for "Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince:
(Check out the "Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince Group for All Details, Over 30 Video Clips, Images and more)
Genre/s: Fantasy Adventure Action
Release Date/s: 7/15/2009 (Wide) (Showtimes & Tickets )
Distributor:
Production Company: Warner Bros. Pictures
Official Site: Official Site
Alternate Titles: Harry Potter 6
CAST & CREW:
Starring:
Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Jom Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Timhoty Spall, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Mar Williams, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch, Matthew Lewis, Katie Leung, James Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Natalie Tena, Bonnie Wright, David Bradley and Warwick Davis.
Directed By: David Yates
Written By: Steven Kloves based on the J.K. Rowling novel
Produced By: David Barron, David Heyman
PLOT:
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.
Warner Bros. Pictures