Blockbustus Profoundum! Potter Finale Draws Record-Shattering $43.5 Million at Midnight

We all saw it coming, and not just because of the lines of cape-wearing, wand-waving fans stretching into half the world's local horizons: The franchise-ending cocktail of anticipation, hype and 3-D also known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 earned $43.5 million from midnight showings nationwide. And yes, that would be a record. Handily.

The Potter finale outgrossed last year's $30 million midnight haul for The Twilight Saga: Eclips -- the previous record -- by nearly 50 percent, setting up what increasingly appears to be an historic three-day opening. The film's Warner Bros. studiomate The Dark Knight currently holds that benchmark at $158 million; Potter may be two-thirds (or more) of the way there by the time we wake up Saturday morning. Stay tuned to Movieline for those figure as they're available...

[via THR]