New Harry Potter movie smashes records

(L-R) Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson in 'Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire'.

Box office records were smashed on the weekend with thousands of muggles (non-magic folk) flooding to see the new Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The movie grossed more than $2 million, and achieved the fifth highest ever New Zealand opening weekend -- smashing all previous Harry Potter openings.

Roadshow spokeswoman Lisa Hubbard says only the Lord of the Rings films and Shrek 2 have bettered it.

She says it is phenomenal that this fourth Harry Potter film has managed to exceed all the previous Potter movies, on a November opening date with no school holiday trading behind it.

Ms Hubbard says they are looking forward to the movie breaking even more records during its run in the theatres.

The top five movie releases are:

* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $2,609,992;

* The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, $2,290,584;

* Shrek 2, $2,202,050;

* The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring $2,125,910 and;

* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $2,098,477.

The film also became the highest-grossing ever November release.

- NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB