Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince Smashes Preview Records

15 July 2009 11:43 AM, PDT

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince smashed preview records at its midnight opening Wednesday as it raked in $22.2 million -- coming in far ahead of the previous record holder, last year�s The Dark Knight, which took in $18.5 million during previews, Warner Bros. said today (Wednesday). The studio released both movies. Earlier, box-office analysts predicted that the movie would likely earn $140 million or more between Wednesday and Sunday, with $100 million being tallied over the Friday-to-Sunday weekend. But such figures now appear to be conservative. In fact, today�s Hollywood Reporter indicated that the film has a realistic shot of outdoing The Dark Knight, which earned $158.3 million during its opening weekend a year ago. (The trade publication noted that advance ticket sales for the movie continue to outpace those for Knight.) The Potter sequel also faces little competition, with no other film opening wide this weekend. �And the most prominent second-weekend holdover -- Universal�s R-rated comedy Br�no -- couldn�t have a more distinct target audience from that of Prince,� THR observed.

Movie Reviews: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

14 July 2009 12:39 PM, PDT

Ordinarily reviews count for little when it comes to movie attendance these days. However, a laudable review by the official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano may count for a lot, especially in Catholic countries. The newspaper said today (Tuesday) said that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince illuminated the age-old conflict between good and evil and treated the stirrings of adolescent love with "the correct balance." That's a more glowing review than many appearing in the mainstream American press. Typically, U.S. critics note that it helps to have a basic familiarity with the novel on which it is based; indeed, it helps even more to be a rabid fan of the novel. (Critics have made the same observation about all of the other Potter movies, too.) Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times concludes that he "admired" the movie, adding that "it opens and closes well, and has wondrous art design and cinematography as always, only more so." However, he writes, some of the scenes "may be especially valued by devoted students of the Potter saga. They may also be the only ones who fully understand them." Dan Kois in the Washington Post notes that the J.K. Rowling novel offered only one action sequence and focused on romance. "It must have seemed a daunting challenge to adapt for an audience of casual moviegoers who don't know a quaffle from a bezoar." Kyle Smith in the New York Post admits that in most of the Potter movies, "I dumbldoze through them as the suspicious new teacher shows up, the plot shuts off for several minutes of Quidditch and all problems get solved with the same old hocus-pocus. But HP6 is suspenseful and artfully realized." Likewise, Roger Moore in the Orlando Sentinel calls it "a satisfying film, just coherent enough, just engrossing enough to cover for the tedious by-the-book slog of even the best Harry Potter films." Nancy Churnin advises in the Dallas Morning News: "Be prepared. ... It would behoove viewers to catch up before plunging into a world where everyone speaks fluent Potter-ese, building on long-established relationships. Even the magic, fabulous as it is, is just part of the intricate fabric from which the story is woven." On the other hand, Michael Sragow writes in the Baltimore Sun that the movie "would be a first-rate fantasy even if the audience weren't invested in the fortunes of boy wizard and 'Chosen One' Harry Potter." Besides, as Kenneth Turan observes in the Los Angeles Times, the movies are not really produced for the uninitiated. "It's only the phenomenal success of the books that has made [the film series] possible, that has ensured a loyal audience for each film, an audience that has invested so much emotion, not to mention time, in the ongoing Potter saga that skipping an episode is out of the question. That's a kind of brand loyalty that's all but gone out of style." Spoilers? When it comes to a Potter movie, the critics seem to agree, who cares?

Tickets Going Fast For Latest Potter Movie

14 July 2009 1:11 PM, PDT

Moviegoers hoping to have an early look at Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which opens at midnight tonight, may have to search hard to find available tickets. Online ticket sellers Fandango said Monday that it had already sold out more than 1,000 showtimes across the country, saying that it has become one of the fastest-selling titles in its nine-year history and currently represents 96 percent of its ticket sales. According to the ticket sellers, 63 percent of the buyers are female and 62 percent said that they plan to see the movie with a group. In a statement, Fandango COO Rick Butler said, "Harry is tracking to match last year's juggernaut, The Dark Knight, in advance ticket sales. ... Showtimes are selling out at a very fast pace, and it's clear that the film's wider blockbuster appeal, solid word-of-mouth and positive Internet buzz on Half-Blood Prince are helping fuel the demand."

Heck yes, I went to the midnight showing last night with Sonia. It was pretty awesome. And fun. Except we got stuck in the front row because we didn't get there early enough to get better seats. So the screen looked kind of distorted from the angle we had to watch it from...but oh well. It was still fun, I'm glad I went.

I didn't go to sleep until 4 this morning, and then I woke up at 9:30. So that's...what, 5 1/2 hours of sleep? I'm kind of tired right now...