HOLLYWOOD - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third installment in author JK Rowling's series about a bespectacled boy wizard, warded off the competition at the box office this weekend with a magical $92.6 million take.The Prisoner of Azkaban is the biggest opener yet for a Harry Potter pic, passing The Socrerer's Stone, which took in $90.2 million when it hit theaters in November 2001, and The Chamber of Secrets, which made $88.3 million when it debuted in November 2002.
Azkaban also bumped off The Matrix Reloaded to become the third best opener of all time behind the superhero actioner Spider-Man, which opened to a still unmatched $114.8 million in May 2002, and animated feature Shrek 2, which premiered last week with a monstrous $108 million.
But Azkaban rules when it comes to June openers. The sequel--directed by Y Tu Mama Tambien helmer Alfonso Cuaron--takes the crown for best June opening of all time, unseating The Hulk, which kicked off to a very green $62.1 million in 2003, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which earned a groovy $54.9 million in 1999.
What's more, Azkaban's Friday gross of $38.2 million also becomes the fourth best single day of all time.
But Azkaban's competition at the box office didn't do too badly either. Shrek 2 still managaed to pull in $37 million in its third week, while The Day After Tomorrow amassed $28.1 million--not too shabby for second and third place finishes.
The top 12 films this week grossed an estimated $180.9 million, up 15.56 percent from this time last year last year, when they totaled $156.5 million, but down 2.55 percent form last week's $185.6 million take.
The top three films at the box office this time last year were: Universal's PG-13 rated 2 Fast 2 Furious, which crossed the checkered flag with $50.4 million in 3,408 theaters with a $14,810 per theater average; Disney and Pixar's G rated Finding Nemo, which took in $46.5 million in its second week of release in 3,391 theaters with a $13,739 per theater average; and Universal's PG-13 rated Bruce Almighty, which raked in $22.5 million in 3,549 theaters, averaging $6,300 per theater in its third week.
BOX OFFICE TOP 10, ESTIMATES: (Source: Exhibitor Relations, Inc.)
No. 1: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Warner Bros., PG)
• Gross: $92.6 million
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 3,855 (+60)
• Per-theater average: $24,032
No. 2: Shrek 2 (Dreamworks, PG)
• Gross: $37 million (-49%)
• Weeks opened: 3
• Theaters: 4,131 (-92)
• Per-theater average: $8,957
• Cume to date: $313.6 million
No. 3: The Day After Tomorrow (20th Century Fox, PG)
• Gross: $28.1 million (-49%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 3,444 (+12)
• Per-theater average: $8,174
• Cume to date: $128.7 million
No. 4: Raising Helen (Buena Vista, PG-13)
• Gross: $6.6 million (-39%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 2,721 (+4)
• Per-theater average: $5,162
• Cume to date: $24.1 million
No. 5: Troy (Warner Bros., R)
• Gross: $5.7 million (-52%)
• Weeks opened: 4
• Theaters: 2,70 (-661)
• Per-theater average: $2,087
• Cume to date: $119.3 million
No. 6: Mean Girls (Paramount Pictures, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.9 million (-42%)
• Weeks opened: 6
• Theaters: 1,817 (-801)
• Per-theater average: $1,596
• Cume to date: $78.1 million
No. 7: Soul Plane (MGM, R)
• Gross: $2.8 million(-50%)
• Weeks opened: 2
• Theaters: 1,566 (unchanged)
• Per-theater average: $1,820
• Cume to date: $11 million
No. 8: Van Helsing (Universal, PG-13)
• Gross: $2.3 million (-55%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 2,059 (-832)
• Per-theater average: $1,140
• Cume to date: $114.5 million
No. 9: Man on Fire (20th Century Fox, R)
• Gross: $1 million (-55%)
• Weeks opened: 7
• Theaters: 683 (-747)
• Per-theater average: $1,501
• Cume to date: $75.3 million
No. 10: Super Size Me (IDP Films/Roadside Attractions, NR)
• Gross: $835,000 (-23%)
• Weeks opened: 5
• Theaters: 205 (+8)
• Per-theater average: $4,074
• Cume to date: $6.2 million
OTHER OPENINGS
The Story of the Weeping Camel (Thinkfilm, NR)
• Gross: $23,000
• Weeks opened: NEW!
• Theaters: 2
• Per-theater average: $11,500