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So magic could happen this weekend at the box office.

The first of seven anticipated films based on the books by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone will hit a record 3,672 theaters on Friday on the heels of great reviews and stunning advance ticket sales. Factor in a terrific $9.6 million taken at previews last weekend in the United Kingdom and the stage is set for Harry Potter … to challenge The Lost World: Jurassic Park's record $72.1 million opening weekend take in 1997.

The budding wizard does have what it takes to overcome several big hurdles ahead of him. The film's two-and-a-half-hour running time will result in fewer showings per screen. Still, the three-hour Pearl Harbor managed to post a $59 million opening in its first three days this past Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The Lost World enjoyed its three-day opening during the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend as well, but debuting on a non-holiday weekend can yield big bucks, too. Monsters, Inc. paved the way this month for a huge Harry Potter … opening by earning $62.5 million in its first weekend. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Chirstmas debuted during last year's pre-Thanksgiving holiday weekend with $55.1 million. The Grinch … overcame competition in the form of fellow newcomers Rugrats In Paris, The 6th Day and Bounce. The only other new film to debut wide this weekend is The Wash, but the comedy opened Wednesday to avoid clashing with Harry Potter …. Anticipation is very high for Harry Potter …, given the books' loyal following among children and adults, so a debut better than either Monsters, Inc. or The Grinch … seems guaranteed.

Even if Harry Potter … doesn't break The Lost World's record, the movie may still thrive in the long term.

Unlike Pearl Harbor and Godzilla, which both failed to shatter opening records and faded fast in the face of lousy reviews, the Chris Columbus-directed fantasy is conjuring up fabulous word of mouth and will likely dominate the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Think Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace, which opened on the pre-Memorial Day weekend in 1999 to a less-than-anticipated $64.8 million weekend but ended up as the third-highest grossing film of all time with $431 million.

With the arrival of Harry Potter …, Monsters, Inc. will scare a lot less kids this weekend. The Disney/Pixar animated yarn--with Billy Crystal and John Goodman providing voices--should still live large thanks to spillover business from Harry Potter …. Monsters, Inc. dropped a mere 27 percent in its second weekend, to $45.5 million, and crossed the $100 million mark in nine days. That's a record for an animated film, beating Toy Story 2 and Shrek by one day. Its $132 million total through Wednesday puts it ahead of both of the aforementioned. If it holds its own against Harry Potter …, Monsters, Inc. will likely surpass Toy Story 2's $245.8 million total and may even challenge Shrek's $267.3 million to reign as the year's highest-grossing animated offering. For the record, the top animated title is The Lion King, with $312.9 million.