A 60% drop from first weekend to second would generally spell disappointment, if not disaster, for a Hollywood blockbuster, but when that blockbuster is Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 and the figure is still enough to take first place on a holiday weekend, that failure starts to look conspicuously like success. Adding another $50.3 million to its coffers, Harry Potter 7.1 has grossed $220 million and counting in just two weeks, confirming the series’ longevity while suggesting an even bigger bonanza for Hello, Mary Lou: Harry Potter 7.2. It was just over $1 million enough to edge out Tangled, Disney’s latest princess movie, which enjoyed by far the strongest debut among openers with $49.1 million, and a slightly higher per screen average ($13,630 to Potter’s $12,205). The also-rans were all greeted with varying degrees of bad news, with the camp musical Burlesque faring best with $11.8 million for fourth, and the other two, Love And Other Drugs and Faster, opening weakly in sixth and seventh place, respectively, with $9.9 million and $8.7 million.
In limited release, a study in contrasts: The Oscar-contending drama The King’s Speech kicked off its campaign with authority, collecting an astonishing $87,500 per screen on four screens, buoyed by good reviews (if not an inspiring poster). On the other end of the spectrum, an extra dimension did nothing for The Nutcracker 3-D, which rode a toxic stream of reviews to a pitiful $1,600 per screen average on 42 screens. And with that, a holiday classic is stillborn.
For more detailed numbers, visit Box Office Mojo.