'Potter' Charms Aging Audience

As it nears its finale, "Harry Potter" has cast a spell over the box office.

The seventh installment in the eight-film franchise, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I" took in a franchise record of $125.1 million at domestic theaters this weekend according to Warner Bros., the Time Warner Inc. TWX -0.82 % -owned movie studio behind the films. That's the sixth-biggest debut for any film, following a list headed by 2008's "The Dark Knight," which took in $158 million.

Warner Bros. executives credit an audience that has grown up on "Harry Potter" with the success of the decade-long series.

ENLARGE

Daniel Radcliffe stars as the titular wizard in the penultimate 'Harry Potter' film. Associated Press

"The key to this franchise is 18-34 year olds and their aging process," says Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Bros. "When we first started 'Harry Potter' and cast 10-year-old Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, parents drove their 10-year-olds to see the movies. Today, those same kids are now driving themselves to the midnight shows."

Roughly 10 percent of the first film's audience was 18-34 year olds, adds Mr. Fellman. By contrast, that age group composed 25% of the audience for "Deathly Hallows."

The film's debut is the highest opening for any "Harry Potter" film to date; 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" held the previous record with a debut of $102.7 million. "Deathly Hallows" beat that by more than 20% and took in $205 million overseas, setting its world-wide total at $330.1 million so far.

It's a strong start for the boy-wizard franchise that has become the most lucrative in Hollywood, surpassing more storied series such as "James Bond" and "Star Wars." The previous six "Potter" movies have taken in about $5.4 billion world-wide; Warner Bros. counts more than $1 billion in profit from them.

Warner Bros. decided earlier this fall not to release "Deathly Hallows" in 3-D, saying the conversion from 2-D wouldn't be finished in time. But had they released in the premium format, this weekend's total would be significantly higher. "There's no question that 3-D matters," says Mr. Fellman, noting that the higher ticket prices increase revenue but not necessarily the number of moviegoers.

Still, the massive opening bodes well for next summer's final installment of the series, which Warner Bros. plans to release in 3-D and IMAX, the big-screen format.

Just over 10% of the film's opening revenue came from IMAX showings, which totaled $12.4 million domestically. That breaks IMAX's previous weekend record of $12.1 million, set by Walt Disney Co.'s "Alice in Wonderland" in March of this year.

ENLARGE

Fans attend the midnight 'Harry Potter' screening in New York. Warner Bros. said about 25% of the film's audience was 18- to 34-year-olds. Getty Images

But despite "Potter's" success, Hollywood's holiday season is trailing behind last year. Ticket sales this weekend were 24% lower than the same weekend a year ago, when teen vampire film "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and breakout hit "The Blind Side" debuted.

But with "Potter" leading the charge, the box office could catch up. Ticket sales are still running almost 2.5% ahead of the same period last year, and a number of upcoming films from Disney's "Tron" sequel to Sony Corp.'s big-budget thriller "The Tourist," starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp, could push that figure further, along with continued excitement over "Potter."

"There's something about this film that feels the beginning of a big celebration," says Greg Foster, president and chairman of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Audiences are responding in an incredible way because they feel a real emotional connection, and that's great for the business."

Write to Lauren A. E. Schuker at lauren.schuker@wsj.com