The last couple of days have been pretty exciting in the world of box office news, as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has finally landed in theaters with a giant bang instead of a soft bump. Folks knew the film would open big, but how big? Dark Knight big? After all, how many parents were letting their kids attend midnight screenings of the film? The Dark Knight managed to rake in $18 million with its midnight screenings – scoring it a slot as the highest all time – but could Potter even go near that considering Order of the Phoenix, which opened in the same exact spot, only pulled in $12 million in midnight screenings?
Well, prepare for your mind to be blown because according to early estimates Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince took in a startling $20 million in midnight screenings last night. That beats Star Wars Episode III (in second place with $17 million) and The Dark Knight (in first with $18 million) by a whole two million dollars.
Not only did Potter beat The Dark Knight in midnight screenings, but it also took over the number two spot in advanced ticket sales on Fandango's all-time list (Star Wars Episode III is still numero uno), representing a staggering 96% of all ticket sales on Fandango. To give you an idea of how nuts it's been, yesterday Fandango was selling ten Harry Potter tickets per second. Yes, per second! So kudos to you fans out there for remaining loyal to the boy wizard, even with the six-month delay. And for those interested, check out the Fandango's top ten all-time advanced ticket-sellers below.
The Top 10 Advance Ticket-Sellers on Fandango (as of July 15, 2009):
1. "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" (2005)
2. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009)
3. "The Dark Knight" (2008)
4. "Twilight" (2008)
5. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005)
6. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007)
7. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007)
8. "Hannah Montana 3D" (2008)
9. "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" (2003)
10. "Spider-Man 3" (2007)
