Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince huge start might very well be the best midnight gross of all time, taking in as much as $20 million when opening at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday at the domestic box office based on early estimates.

Harry beats the $18 million earned in midnight runs by Warners Bros.’ very own The Dark Knight and the $17 million earned by 20th Century Fox’s Star Wars: Episode III -Revenge of the Sith.

It looks like Half-Blood Prince will out due its predecessor. Half-Blood Prince opens in the same Wednesday slot that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix did in 2007. Order of the Phoenix grossed $12 million in midnight runs on its way to a $139.7 million five-day debut.  

I don’t know if this is true but I sure feel it.  Observers expect the teenage wizard to be as popular even more so. It’s been two years since the last Potter movie, or the last book in J.K. Rowling’s series, creating a pent-up demand.

(Source)