‘Potter’ Finale Conjures Up $1 Billion Worldwide

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Harry Potter has joined the billion-dollar club.

Distributor Warner Bros. said Sunday that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” crossed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office.

The last of the eight films about the young wizard became the first in the franchise to reach that level. The previous best global haul was $974.8 million for the original film, 2001’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

With $21.9 million domestically this weekend, “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” climbed to a domestic total of $318.5 million. That tops the franchise’s previous best of $317.6 million for “Sorcerer’s Stone.”

But factoring in today’s higher admission prices, “Deathly Hallows: Part 2” has not caught up to “Sorcerer’s Stone” in terms of actual tickets sold.

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