The Agency's Posts

Review: WikiLeaks duo's relationship powers up 'The Fifth Estate': In its own Hollywood way,"The Fifth Estate"is quite an ambitious film. It wants....
Read More>

How to maintain healthy hair through the decades: Just like skin, hair changes as we age. Here are a few tips to keep locks at their lushest for....
Read More>

Meg Ryan is set to star in a new NBC comedy: It's been nearly 30 years since Meg Ryan had her own show on the small screen. But now she's
Read More>

Captain Phillips movie review: Tom Hankss superb performance anchors thrilling tale: Those readers who habitually skip past the review to see how many stars a movie has earned....
Read More>

Why box-office surprises are becoming more common: Predicting a weekend movie ticket-grossing champ is harder than ever as pre-release audience....
Read More>

Sandra Bullock's 'Gravity': How apt is the 'Avatar' comparison?: As "Gravity"made waves at the box office this weekend,pundits both professional and....
Read More>

No Trends For Old Men: Dan Peres is the editor in chief ofDetailsmagazine Let me start by saying that I am decidedly....
Read More>

Stability, a Real Suburban Curve Ball: ‘Eastbound & Down’ Is Back for a Fourth Season Last week, on the season....
Read More>

'Gravity': Sandra Bullock space saga attracts stellar reviews: Film critics are over the moon for "Gravity," director Alfonso Cuarón's....
Read More>

Rebel Wilson: Can 'Super Fun Night' make her a TV star?: She stole scenes in "Bridesmaids" and"Pitch Perfect,"but now Rebel Wilson....
Read More>

Tom Clancy dies: Ben Affleck says writer made realism 'top priority': As the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind"Argo,"Ben Affleckcertainly knows the difference....
Read More>

'Homeland' returns strong, powered by Claire Danes: The walking wound that isClaire Danes' bipolar superspy Carrie Mathison returned to duty in....
Read More>
'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' box office
Posted on: 07/18/11
Share/Save/Bookmark
 

"Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2" broke the opening-weekend box-office record with nearly $169 million. But where will it end up on the all-time totals chart?  How does it stack it up with non 3-D openings?  And what movies have the best chance to beat it? A wizardly -- and occasionally stat-minded -- edition of our Monday-morning-quarterback post.

Next stop Nolanville? The movie that "Deathly Hallows" beat for the opening-weekend record was "The Dark Knight." So it shouldn't have much trouble topping the comic-book movie's total on the all-time domestic chart ($533 million, the third-highest ever, and best ever for a film not directed by James Cameron). But as it turns out, that could be a tall order. "The Dark Knight" played solidly throughout the summer, as people not previously inclined to see a superhero movie began hearing the buzz. "Deathly Hallows" won't easily replicate that feat -- it might get repeat viewings from the J.K. Rowling faithful, but at this advanced stage of its story development, it probably won't attract a lot of new fans.

Splitting the atom. It seems like ancient history now, but there was originally carping about Warner Bros.' decision to make two movies out of Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," with skeptics seeing it as a money-grabbing move and wondering if the source material could sustain two films. In retrospect, of course, it proved a financially and creatively satisfying decision -- which may provide encouragement to those worried about Summit's "Breaking Dawn" mitosis.

The 3-D effect. Amid all the hype about the weekend record, it's worth remembering that "Deathly Hallows" did have the benefit of 3-D ticket prices. Adjust for that advantage and it's still a robust performer, but not anywhere near a record breaker. (Instead it's on par with "Star Wars Episode III" -- or, for that matter, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," which tallied just north of $100 million selling 2-D tickets.) What "Deathly Hallows" has done, though, is set a new high-water mark for 3-D releases. That $53 million for "Green Lantern" looks even more paltry by comparison.

Holding history. How long will it hold the weekend record? There's no movie this summer that will come close. (Sorry, "Conan the Barbarian") But several will vie for the crown in the not-too-distant future. Next summer brings "The Dark Knight Rises," which has as an excellent shot of opening to even bigger numbers. And not long after that come two "Hobbit" movies as well as the final two "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn" films.

Inflationary tendencies. If you're comparing "Deathly Hallows" with recent openings, inflation doesn't matter much. But some of the older films would give it a serious run if they came out today. Although the Daniel Radcliffe-Emma Watson blockbuster already is off on a breakneck pace that could see it reach a half-billion dollars domestically, that pales in contrast to the all-time inflation-adjusted record holder, "Gone with the Wind." Scarlett and Rhett raked in what would be about $1.6 billion dollars in 2011.

World domination. The $168 million for "Hallows" in the U.S. is impressive  But even more persuasive is how the boy wizard got the entire globe to move in lockstep. Overseas, the film tallied more than $300 million, giving it a great chance to be the worldwide top-grossing non-Cameron movie of all time. The number to beat? The $1.12 billion of "The Lords of the Rings: The Return of the King." The new Potter is already almost halfway there.


COMMENTS
Be the first to post a comment!


Post A Comment:




  • It's 2020! Start booking roles in commercials, fashion, films, theater and more with The Agency Online!

  • NEW WORKSHOP with Barbara Barna & Sean De Simone!

    Hi Everyone and Happy Summer! Sean at Sean De Simone casting and Barbara Barna are teaming up for a super informative and fun Hosting for Home Shopping workshop. A great opportunity for established or experienced TV Hosts and Experts interested in learning how to get noticed and how to get in....
  • MASTERCLASS W. Robin Carus & David John Madore

    A Special Offer for the Agency Community, from one of our favorite NYC Casting Directors! EMAIL FacetheMusicWithUs@gmail.com Or Eventbrite To Sign Up! Class Size is Limited.
  • Don't Fall Into The Comparison Trap

    Hi Everyone! As the second installment in an ongoing series of features by the Agency's amazing community, here's some sage advice from our own Regina Rockensies; a humble (& awesome)veteran we've had the pleasure of working with for a long time. Have an excellent week! : ) - The Agency....
  • One Model's Agreement

    Hi Everyone! As the first piece in an ongoing series of original articles by the Agency community, here's a short reflection on some of the values of professional acting & modeling that we can all keep in mind for our next casting. Good luck on your castings &shoots this week! : ) -....




 
home       castings&news       privacy policy       terms and conditions      contact us      browser tips
Official PayPal Seal