First released in 2001, 'Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone' is in the process of becoming the second film in the saga to reach a billion dollars in box office sales thanks to a big-screen re-release. Photo: Handout
Almost 19 years after its original release in movie theaters, the first film based on the famous book series by J.K. Rowling is in the process of becoming the second one in the franchise to reach a billion dollars in box office takings after Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 2. An accomplishment that is comforting industry players in the midst of the global health crisis, although the box office figures remain far lower than those of last year.
In order to attract cinema-goers back into theaters, the Asian market has been focusing on "safe bets" like the first work in the Harry Potter saga. And it appears to be working for the cinemas and for Warner Bros as the first title, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone available in 3D and 4K, has accumulated US$13.6mil in additional box office receipts in just three days across 16,000 screens including 2.1 million dollars from 594 IMAX screens, Deadline reports.
The success of the Christopher Columbus-directed film helped the Chinese box office achieve its best weekend since the country's cinemas reopened, with a total take of US$21.9mil dollars according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Cinemas in China reopened their doors to the public four weeks ago, following the lockdown decrees rolled out in January due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A sluggish recovery for an industry that has been struggling since the health crisis began, as overall numbers show a year-on-year decline of 92.8%, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Theatres still have to address a slew of health safety measures that are still in place, such as a limited number of screenings, physical distancing as well as the fear of returning to an enclosed space for some spectators.
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