Box Office, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | featured news

In a battle of summer movie heroes, Captain America topped Harry Potter this weekend at the box office. Paramount Pictures' "Captain America: The First Avenger" opened at No. 1 with $65.8 million, according to Sunday studio estimates. The Marvel Comics superhero adventure sets up next summer's all-star blockbuster "The Avengers."

The Dark Knight is dead. Long live the Batman. Since 2008, the Christopher Nolan film featuring posthumous Oscar winner Heath Ledger had held the single-weekend record for domestic box office. “The Dark Knight’s” $158.4-million take topped “Spider-Man 3’s” $151.1-million a year earlier. Now, the Boy Wizard has left both superheroes in the Floo-powder dust.

Harry Potter has cast his biggest spell yet with a record-breaking first day at the box office for his final film. Distributor Warner Bros. reports that "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" summoned up $92.1 million domestically on opening day Friday. That's nearly $20 million more than the previous record-holder, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," which took in $72.7 million in its first day two years ago.

Warner Bros.' Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is looking to earn as much as $80 million or more at the Friday box office, the best single day gross of all time domestically. Tally includes a record-breaking $43.5 million in midnight grosses.