Final 'Harry Potter' Film Breaks Midnight Box Office Record
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harry Potter still has that magic touch – even before dawn.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," the final film in the successful Warner Bros. boy wizard franchise, conjured up $43.5 million from midnight shows Friday, according to studio estimates.
It beat the previous midnight record set last summer by "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," which earned around $30 million for its midnight screenings.
With the addition of 3D, "Part 2" could end the franchise's spellbinding 10-year story with a total weekend debut approaching $150 million. That would surpass the $125 million opening last November of the first "Deathly Hallows" installment.
The current debut weekend record is $158 million set by "The Dark Knight" in 2008.
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