Entertainment props – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Posted on 11/14/2008 2:36:15 PM
By Summer Campinelli
Entertainment props: Can Harry Potter beat Iron Man?
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Iron Man enjoyed huge opening weekend
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Last Potter movie had third-biggest opening
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Potter series gaining serious steam
Ever since Britney Spears pushed up her album into December 2008, I can honestly say that there is nothing that I’m more excited for in 2009 than the opening of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth film in the Harry Potter series. Collectively, for entertainment betting purposes, it is worth noting that the series has netted nearly five billion dollars in gross revenue.
In this form of exotics betting, the question that BetOnline.com is asking us to answer is whether the three-day opening (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) will gross more revenue than Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man.
Iron Man had a huge opening weekend earlier this year, grossing $98,618,668 in 4105 theatres. If you plan to bet exotics online, then you need to know that Iron Man’s opening ranked 11th all-time. For Potter’s movie to top it, it will have to crack the Top-10.
Sportsbook odds list Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince as an underdog in this head-to-head matchup and there are a number of reasons for it. For starters, Potter appeals more to a younger crowd whereas Iron Man caught the eye of the adult, action crowd, which is a larger demographic. But that may be more perception than reality.
Potter’s last movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, had the third biggest world-wide opening of all-time. But smart exotics betting minds might notice that the two films that were ahead of it – Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – opened up in double the markets.
If you plan to bet online that Potter will win, then you probably feel like I do, and that is that the Harry Potter series is gaining steam. The gross revenue has increased over the last three movies. Take a look at this:
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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: $795,541,069
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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: $896,016,159
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 938,468,864
One factor that BetOnline.com may have taken into account that sports bettors need to factor in is that there is currently a huge recession in the United States. It might seem like a random thought but don’t discount that a bad economy might hurt a movie’s opening revenue.
On one hand, there will be people like me who like to get their mind away from things even in bad times and go see the movie anyways. On the other hand, some people just might not have the extra money to go see it. With movie ticket prices and popcorn prices, a family of four might rather wait for it to be available for rent on DVD.
I’m not an economist but I think by the time that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens up next July the economy will be in better shape. Also, it is a summer movie and take it from Summer, summer hits always do well.
SUMMER’S PICK: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to have a bigger three-day opening than Iron Man.
For more insight into entertainment props, check out Summer’s columns in the Betting Edge every week.
Summer
Campinelli lives a low-key lifestyle in Los Angeles and is a regular guest
contributor to BetOnline.com. There’s a lot more to her than just her
appearance; Summer enjoys movies, television and fashion as much as the next
girl, but her knowledge of sports and sports betting is what makes her a real
catch. Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
