Deathly Hallows launches on franchise record $125.1m in US

Warner Bros’ penultimate episode in its killer franchise grossed a record $330.1m worldwide combined with the $205m international tally.

The previous best North American launch in the franchise was $102.7m set by Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire in 2005. Deathly Hallows set the industry’s sixth biggest domestic launch and Friday’s $61.2m haul was the fifth biggest opening day in history.

In another new mark, the $12.4m IMAX haul overtook $12.1m set by Alice In Wonderland earlier in the year. Part 2 will open in 3D on July 15 next summer.

Megamind in second place crossed $100m in its third weekend as $16.2m boosted the tally to $109.5m. Lionsgate’s thriller The Next Three Days starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks opened weakly in fifth place on $6.7m from 2,564 theatres. Summit’s politcal thriller Fair Game broke into the top ten in tenth place and stands at $3.7m after three weeks after expanding by 211 theatres to 386.

Next weekend’s wide releases in what promises to be a big Thanksgiving weekend are Disney’s animation Tangled; Sony/Screen Gems’ musical Burlesque with Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell and Cher; Fox’s rom-com Love And Other Drugs with Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway; and CBS Film’s action release Faster with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Estimated Top 10 North America Nov 19-21, 2010

Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (-) Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Warner Bros) WBPI $125.1m –

2 (1) Megamind (Paramount-DreamWorks Animation) PPI $16.2m $109.5m

3 (2) Unstoppable (Fox) Fox Int’l $13.1m $41.9m

4 (3) Due Date (Warner Bros) WBPI $9.2m $72.7m

5 (-) The Next Three Days (Lionsgate) Lionsgate $6.8m –

6 (5) MorningGlory (Paramount) PPI $5.2m $19.9m

7 (4) Skyline (Universal/Relativity) IM Global $3.4m $17.6m

8 (7) Red (Summit) Summit Int’l $2.5m $83.6m

9 (6) For Colored Girls (Lionsgate) Lionsgate $2.4m $34.5m

10 (15) Fair Game (Summit) Summit Int’l $1.5m $3.7m