Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Triumphs With Record Breaking 5 day Opening Weekend of GBP19,784,925 in the UK

LONDON - Warner Bros. Pictures International UK made cinema history today. David Yates’ critically acclaimed ‘Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince’ smashed the record for the biggest five day opening weekend at the UK box office. The film opened on Wednesday 15th July making GBP4.7 million on its first day - the biggest ever Wednesday opening in the UK.

Josh Berger, President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Entertainment UK commented: “We are thrilled that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince has achieved a GBP19,784,925 five day opening weekend which has broken all box office records to date. It is just wonderful that this film franchise filmed in Britain, starring a British cast and created by some of the most talented British filmmakers, continues to be loved by the British film-going audiences.”

Producer David Heyman said, “We are so grateful to Jo Rowling, whose books are the foundation of our success. We share this with our remarkable team-director, writer, cast and crew-with whom I am privileged to work every day and whose ambition for the films never ceases to amaze me. Thanks also to our friends at Warner Bros. and especially to our countless Harry Potter fans around the world for their support.”

In the US too ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ has shattered two box office records, first breaking the record for a midnight opening with US$22.2 million, eclipsing the studio’s own record set last year by ‘The Dark Knight’. ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ then flew past the worldwide opening day box office record: with the domestic gross of US$58.18 million and the international totals of US$45.85 million combining for an astounding one-day global box office gross of more than US$104 million.

Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros., stated, “Quite simply, we owe this record-breaking opening to the remarkable fans who have stood by us and who stood in line to be among the first to see ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’ We thank them again for their patience and we hope they agree with us that the film was well worth the wait.”

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, added, “Everyone at Warner Bros. joins me in congratulating the cast and filmmakers who have made another worthy addition to the amazing Harry Potter film franchise and are already hard at work on the next film.”

Sue Kroll, President of Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures, remarked, “From our earliest screenings, the response to ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ has been overwhelming, and we have been inspired by the enthusiasm generated by the film. As the movies have gotten bigger and better, it has been a wonderful challenge to create bigger and better marketing campaigns to excite Harry Potter fans and create new ones. We are delighted that this latest film seems to have done both on a global level.”

Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of International Distribution concluded: “We are so happy to share ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ with the fans and thrilled that they turned out in record numbers to see it. With many countries yet to open, these already outstanding box office numbers are another testament to the universal appeal of J.K. Rowling’s stories and the remarkable work of everyone behind the Harry Potter films.”

In ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’, the Death Eaters are wreaking havoc in both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that new dangers may lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort’s defenses. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary, as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’, the sixth installment of Warner Bros. Pictures’ Harry Potter film franchise. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson return in the roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The film also stars Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Helen McCrory, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. David Heyman and David Barron produced the film, with Lionel Wigram serving as executive producer and John Trehy co-producing.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’: An IMAX 3D Experience-digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience(R) through proprietary IMAX DMR(R) technology-is being released by Warner Bros. Pictures in select theatres in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release in traditional theatres. The film will open nationwide in IMAX on July 29th. Using IMAX’s revolutionary live action 2D to 3D conversion technology, the movie’s opening sequence has been transformed into IMAX 3D. The film will also be shown completely in IMAX 2D in select locations without IMAX(R) 3D capability.

Notes to Editors: - Biggest ever opening incl. previews - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban GBP23,882,688 - Biggest ever 3 day opening - Quantum of Solace - GBP15,384,217 - Harry Potter and The Philosophers Stone - Three day opening weekend - GBP9,600,368 - Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets - Three day opening weekend - GBP10,259,328 - Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban - Three day opening weekend - GBP9,508,349 - Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - Three day opening weekend - GBP14,903,710 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Three day opening weekend - GBP13,007,909

Images are available on www.Image.net

Source: Warner Bros Entertainment UK Ltd

For additional information, please contact: Louisa Radcliffe / Stuart Gurr, +44(0)207-984-5200, Louisa.radcliffe at warnerbros.com / Stuart.gurr at warnerbros.com