"Harry Potter " Sequel Breaks Record For Imax Too
The third "Harry Potter " film not only broke a box-office record for the franchise, but also for Imax Corp. (IMAX).
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" grossed about $92.7 million in its first three days, the best opening yet for the film series. For Imax, which opened the film on 49 of its giant screens, it grossed about $2 million, or $40,800 a screen, a record opening for a film using its DMR film-conversion process.
The previous record was held by "The Matrix Revolutions," which grossed about $1.8 million on 48 screens, or an average of $37,400 a screen, last fall.
Looking at the Imax results separately, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" would have placed ninth overall in terms of box-office returns.
"The only thing that prevented the numbers from being higher was the fact we didn't have more seats. It was sold out almost everywhere," Richard Gelfond, co-chief executive of Imax, told Dow Jones. He also said the film's box-office "legs" look promising, as exit research showed high satisfaction levels and the highest "intent to recommend" ever seen for a DMR film.
"The key to our strategy is demonstrating that these Hollywood event movies can make significant returns for the theater operators," Gelfond said, adding that the current ones are "thrilled" with the results. To see "Harry Potter " in Imax, film fans pay an average 30% premium on the standard 35mm ticket price.
In a research note, Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. analyst Eric Wold said the outlook for Imax is stronger than ever, citing an improving movie slate, its lower-cost theater system, and ongoing negotiations with potential customers. He believes that Imax is set to trade higher again "as investors gain comfort with management's ability to deliver on this improving business outlook," he said.
Wold doesn't own Imax stock, but his firm has had an investment-banking relationship with the company.
On Nasdaq Monday, Imax is down 16 cents to $5.29.
《哈利波特3》首映票房超过前两集
哈利波特(Harry Potter)向世人证明了他并未失去魔法，关于这位小魔法师的第三部电影上周末在北美的首映票房收入估计达到了9,260万美元，超过了该片的前两集，让华纳兄弟公司(Warner Brothers)从这部魔法师的电影上又大赚了一把。
华纳兄弟出品的《哈利波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》(Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)的首映表现驱散了人们对《哈利波特》系列影片在竞争激烈的夏季放映季节首映状况的担忧。前两部都是在11月份首映的，但华纳兄弟因制作延期而将该片的首映放在了6月份。
作为取得北美首映最佳表现的《哈利波特》系列影片的第三部，《哈利波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》在美国和加拿大以外的票房估计达到了1.141亿美元。
《哈利波特》系列影片成了华纳兄弟的摇钱树，迄今为止，其母公司纽约的时代华纳公司(Time Warner Inc.)在该片的各个方面收获了27亿多美元收入。这家电影公司还在指望该书出版多少集，它就拍摄多少部电影来继续赚钱；《哈利波特》的作者J.K.罗琳(J.K. Rowling)一年前已出版了《哈利波特》第五集，《哈利波特与凤凰令》(Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)。现在，她正在埋头于第六集的写作当中。她计划写到第七集。
华纳兄弟面临的挑战是要保持这部逐渐老化的电影的活力，留住年轻的观众。随著这个系列故事情节的发展，该书和电影变得更加阴暗而且感觉上更加成人化。最新这部电影由曾执导《你的妈妈也一样》(Y Tu Mama Tambien)的阿方索?库隆(Alfonso Cuaron)导演，而不是前两部的导演克里斯?哥伦布(Chris Columbus)。
华纳兄弟眼下正用他同一个年轻演员班底拍摄《哈利波特》第四集，但导演换成了《四个婚礼一个葬礼》(Four Weddings and a Funeral)的导演麦克?纽维尔(Mike Newell)，他可能会给影片带来更多诡异的幽默。电影公司意识到书中的人物和影片中十多岁的演员们几乎以同样的步伐成长变大，公司希望同片中的同一批主要演员续约拍摄第五集。
该片的第一集《哈利波特与魔法石》(Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)2001年在美国国内首映票房为9,030万美元，全球的票房总收入几乎达到10亿美元。《哈利波特与密室》(Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)2002年美国国内首映票房略低于第一集，为8,840万美元，全球票房总收入达到8.8亿美元。哈利波特的影迷们为第三集等待了一年半，他们必须为第四集再等上一年半。
《哈利波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》上周五首映票房高达3,820万美元，它的北美票房收入周六和周日分别为3,140万美元2,300万美元。不过，由于学校开始放暑假，华纳兄弟希望这部耗资1.5亿美元的电影还能在非周末期间继续有强劲的票房表现。
《哈利波特与阿兹卡班的囚徒》上周末取代了《怪物史莱克2》(Shrek 2)成为票房排行冠军。梦工厂(DreamWorks SKG)的《怪物史莱克2》第三个周末的票房收入是3,700万美元，比上一周减少了49%。该片到目前为止在美国国内的票房收入达到了3.136亿美元。
新闻集团(News Corp.)旗下20世纪福克斯公司(Twentieth Century Fox)推出的《后天》(The Day after Tomorrow)第二个周末票房收入减少了59%，这显示了美国夏季放映季节司空见惯的竞争惨烈程度。该片上周末票房为2,800万美元，它在美国国内的票房收入到目前为止达到了1.288亿美元。《哈利波特》在美国和加拿大3,855个影院同时上映，这个放映规模仅次于《怪物史莱克2》，在国内排第二。
