Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
Warner Bros. kicked off what likely will be a boffo opening weekend for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," launching the film at 3,700 midnight runs for a late-night take of $24 million.
Pic screened at a record-setting 238 domestic Imax screenings, contributing $1.4 million, which surpassed the company's previous $1 million midnight record holder "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."
Overall, "Hallows" fell short of catching "Eclipse's" $30 million late-night record, though that film benefited from a more rabid young femme demo and a shorter runtime, as well as its less restrictive summer berth.
Warner will screen "Hallows" this weekend at 4,125 U.S. locations.