Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix Triumphs With Record Breaking Opening Weekend of GBP16.5 Million in the UK.

Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix Triumphs With Record Breaking Opening Weekend of GBP16.5 Million in the UK.

LONDON, July 16/PRNewswire/ --

- The Fifth Film in the Franchise is the Largest Worldwide Opening in Warner Bros. History Grossing US$330 Million Worldwide

Warner Bros. Pictures International UK made cinema history today. David Yates' critically acclaimed "Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix" smashed the record for the biggest four day opening weekend at the UK box office.

The magic continues - This weekend Dumbledore's army of fans took the UK box office by storm propelling the film franchise into the record books yet again with a box office of GBP16.5 million.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A Heyday Films Production, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." The film stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Griffiths, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Fiona Shaw, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, David Thewlis, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters. The film was directed by David Yates and produced by David Heyman and David Barron. Michael Goldenberg wrote the screenplay, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Lionel Wigram served as executive producer. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Images are available on www.Image.net

Notes to Editors:

The four day opening weekend record was previously held in 2005 by Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Four day opening weekend - GBP14,361, 469.

Worldwide

Worldwide "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" grossed US$330 million in its first weekend in cinemas. The film is the largest worldwide opening in Warner Bros. history and the largest opening for the franchise. The prior record for the studio and the franchise was "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" in 2004, which reached US$207 million worldwide. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" brought in a record-breaking US$140 million in box office receipts domestically for the five day opening; and internationally, it made US$190 million in 44 markets, making this the biggest "Harry Potter" opening of all time around the world.

Synopsis

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community is in denial about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort, preferring to turn a blind eye to the news that Voldemort has returned. Fearing that Hogwarts' venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about Voldemort's return in order to undermine his power and take his job, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the Hogwarts students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge's Ministry-approved course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the dark forces threatening them and the entire wizarding community, so at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry takes matters into his own hands. Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves "Dumbledore's Army," Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.

Source: Warner Bros. Pictures International

For further UK release information please contact: James Knox - Publicist, +44-(0)20-7984-5293; Stuart Gurr - Publicist, +44-(0)20-7984-5207

---

Profile: International Entertainment