The combined worldwide box office of the five Harry Potter films to date currently exceeds $4.47bn, overtaking box office totals of all 22 James Bond films and the six Star Wars films.

Each of the first five Harry Potter films is among the top 20 worldwide releases in history.

'It would be an understatement to say we are proud of the success of the Harry Potter films,' Warner Bros president and chief operating officer Alan Horn said. 'We also want to congratulate all of the extraordinary actors, film-makers and artists who have shared this remarkable cinematic journey with us.'

'It is a thrill to see the Harry Potter franchise reach this unparalleled mark, and, with two movies yet to come, it is amazing to think what heights the franchise could reach by the end of the decade,' domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said.

Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, president of distribution at Warner Bros Pictures International, said the appeal of the Harry Potter stories 'knows no borders', adding: 'Each of the five films has captured the hearts and sparked the imagination of audiences everywhere.'

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince opens Nov 21, 2008. The seventh and final film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, is scheduled for 2010.

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