"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" sets midnight box office record
(CBS/AP) It's not exactly a surprise but it is a big deal. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" blew the doors off the previous midnight record holder in midnight screenings Friday.
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The final film in the successful Warner Bros. boy wizard franchise conjured up $43.5 million from midnight shows Friday, according to studio estimates.
The previous record was set by "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," which earned around $30 million for its midnight screenings.
With the addition of 3-D, "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.