‘Harry Potter’ Soars Above Playing Field

Arriving with widespread media attention and a huge built-in fan base, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” shattered every kind of box office record in its opening weekend: Warner Bros. estimates its movie will bring in $93.5 million in its first three days, though competing studios contend the final figure may be somewhat lower.

No one disputes that “Harry Potter’s” opening weekend was the highest ever for any film. Showing in 3,672 locations and on more than 7,000 screens, it surpassed the 1997 “Jurassic Park” sequel “The Lost World,” which took in $72.1 million over three days in 3,281 theaters. And if Warner Bros. figures hold, “Harry Potter” should also pass that film’s $90.1 million four-day record established over the 1997 Memorial Day holiday.

According to Warner Bros., “Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace’s” single-day record of $28.5 million (in 2,970 locations) on opening day, May 19, 1999, was beaten three times by “Harry Potter”: Friday’s opening-day totals were $31.6 million, which was surpassed on Saturday with $32.9 million and an estimated $29 million on Sunday. Those are the three highest-grossing days for any film.

In Britain, where “Harry Potter” debuted on Friday, the film also set a weekend record with 16 million British pounds in ticket sales (about $23 million U.S. dollars), handily outdistancing “Phantom Menace,” which grossed about 9 million British pounds.

While most competing studios say their own tracking of movie exhibitors puts “Potter” in the $80-million range, it would still easily be a record weekend. Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. distribution head, says the discrepancy in figures is due to several factors. Reports to the official industry tracking firm EDI/Nielsen, from which the studios then project daily grosses, don’t include smaller theaters as well as smaller theater chains, which are recording huge grosses for “Harry Potter.” Many theaters added unscheduled late shows Friday and Saturday to meet demand. Outside estimates also don’t factor in special ticket sales Warner Bros. made available to large groups for the film on Saturday and Sunday, which Fellman has added to Warner Bros.’ overall totals.

“Harry Potter” has the potential to breeze past the $100-million mark in the U.S. by today’s end. If it does, it will have reached that plateau one day sooner than “The Lost World,” which currently holds that record and had the benefit of a holiday weekend. If not, says Fellman, the film will get there on Tuesday.

Warner Bros. begins shooting the second in the planned series of seven Harry Potter films today in Britain, again under the direction of Chris Columbus. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” will be released a year from now.

About two-thirds of the audience was made up of kids and their parents, but one-third consisted of adults who came on their own. “We never anticipated that the audience would embrace the film at this level,” says Warner Bros. Chairman Alan Horn. “The pent-up demand for the movie reflects the interest of those who’ve read the book, and we’re gratified that the fans are telling us they’re pleased with our work.” He referred to the exit polls Friday night by the firm CinemaScore, which were largely A and A+. (Film critics have generally given mixed reviews.)

High satisfaction level from audiences is a good predictor of strong word of mouth, which should influence those leery of getting on the “Potter” bandwagon, as well as for the potential for repeat business among “Harry Potter” devotees. Horn, however, is reluctant to predict where the film will finish, which begs the question: How high can “Harry Potter” go?

It’s hard to say because there are no direct precedents. Of the films with the top five opening weekends, only “Harry” is an original. The other four were sequels, with the exception of this year’s “Planet of the Apes,” which was a remake of a film with several sequels.

The closest comparison may be “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (ranked No. 12 to No. 13 on the top opening weekends list), which, like “Harry Potter,” is based on a best-selling children’s book. That film grossed a total of $265 million last year. “Grinch” opened over the same weekend with $55 million, then climbed to more than $72 million over the five-day Thanksgiving period. If “Harry” follows a similar trajectory, it could surpass $200 million by the end of its second week. Even with the pre-Christmas lull, “Harry” could speed into the holidays with $300 million. Despite competition from “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius” and “Monsters, Inc.” the film will likely get a second wind during this year’s Christmas to New Year’s holiday break, which will extend from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2.

Because J.K. Rowling’s books are a worldwide phenomenon, “Harry Potter” has the potential to be a blockbuster in the range of “Jurassic Park” and “Phantom Menace,” both of which grossed about $920 million worldwide, about half as much as the all-time champion “Titanic,” with $1.835 billion.

While it may seem meager by comparison, “Monsters, Inc.” had a strong third weekend in 3,461 theaters, despite an expected 49% drop from last weekend attributable to “Harry Potter.” But it was falling from a very high perch, which allowed the Disney/Pixar computer animated film to hold on to an anticipated $23 million for a 17-day total of almost $157 million. It too should get a holiday bump this weekend and continue toward the $200-million mark by month’s end.

Complaints from advocacy groups for the overweight notwithstanding, the Farrelly brothers’ “Shallow Hal,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black, was fairly steady with $12.7 million expected in its second weekend in 2,803 theaters and a 10-day total of about $41 million. “Hal” will compete this weekend with Martin Lawrence in the time-travel comedy “Black Knight.”

In fourth place again was John Travolta’s “Domestic Disturbance.” And while it may not be “The General’s Daughter,” it’s playing reasonably well to the adult audience with $5.6 million expected in its third weekend on 2,881 screens; it has earned about $34 million so far. David Mamet’s caper film “Heist,” starring Gene Hackman, fell to about $4.7 million in its second weekend in 1,891 theaters, for a 10-day total of $15 million. Both movies will have to contend with “Spy Game,” starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt, which debuts Wednesday.

Jet Li is still “The One,” but now he’s in sixth, dropping off by 54% to $4.2 million on 2,433 screens and a pleasant 10-day total of just over $38 million.

“K-PAX” faded to $3.3 million in its fourth weekend on 2,305 screens and a monthlong total of about $45 million.

The low-budget pseudo-remake of “Car Wash,” titled “The Wash,” was the only movie brave enough to open against “Harry Potter,” with mixed results: $3 million in 749 locations for a so-so five day total of $3.9 million. In ninth place, “Life as a House” remained fairly steady in 1,288 theaters with a predicted $2.7 million.

The bottom of the top 10 was “Thirteen Ghosts,” which drooped to $2.2 million and a four-week total of just under $38 million.

The French import “Amelie” expanded to 163 theaters and cracked the top 12 with an estimated $1.3 million; it has earned $2.7 million to date. “Novocaine,” starring Steve Martin, earned $405,000 on 105 screens.

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Rank: 1

Movie: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

Weekend: 11/16/01

Theaters: 3,672

Gross: $93,500,000 (estimate)

Per theater avg.: $25,463

*

Rank: 2

Movie: “The Lost World: Jurassic Park”

Weekend: 5/23/97

Theaters: 3,281

Gross: $72,132,785

Per theater avg.: $21,985

*

Rank: 3

Movie: “Planet of the Apes”

Weekend: 7/27/01

Theaters: 3,500

Gross: $68,532,960

Per theater avg.: $19,581

*

Rank: 4

Movie: “The Mummy Returns”

Weekend: 5/4/01

Theaters: 3,401

Gross: $68,139,035

Per theater avg.: $20,035

*

Rank: 5.

Movie: “Rush Hour 2”

Weekend: 8/03/01

Theaters: 3,118

Gross: $67,408,222

Per theater avg.: $21,619