This is how not to succeed in business: Broadway’s “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” had to shut down for two nights last week so Daniel Radcliffe could be in London promoting “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.” The result? The “How to Succeed” box office fell from $1.13 million to $749,000. There were reports that Warner Bros., the “Harry Potter” studio, had bought out the shows. But the box report indicates a week to week loss of $382,866 with no mention of the studio pitch in. That amount of money is nothing to WB or the “Harry Potter” franchise, but on Broadway it’s a fortune. It’s actually more than several shows made last week, including “Master Class,” “Hair,” Ghetto Klown,” and “Jerusalem.” Maybe WB will set that straight with a whisk of a magic wand!
While Radcliffe is back on stage, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2” is set to break records this weekend. Will it be the biggest box office earner in history, etc? Could be. Advanced ticket sales for “DH2” are already breaking $40 million and that’s before actual people start showing up in theaters. The movie has no competition this weekend. There won’t be a theater that doesn’t have multiple screenings, either. “DH2” has the third widest opening of any movie, behind “Twilight: Eclipse” and “Iron Man 2.” According to boxofficemojo, “DH2” also has 3000 3D screens, where the ticket prices are higher. (Frankly, it’s fine in 2D.)
Tomorrow will be full of announcements and pronouncements, with all the records cited–biggest Friday before a Saturday after which a Sunday follows, etc. Congrats to producer David Heyman, who shepherded this project for a decade, and to the young cast, who were never arrested for anything or did anything particularly embarrassing.
