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Harry Potter finale crosses $1 billion mark

LOS ANGELES: The boy wizard is going out with a bang as 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2,' the eighth and final movie in the series, has surpassed $1 billion in worldwide sales. The ninth film to reach the billionaire club, it now ranks along with box office sales for movies such as "Titanic" and "Avatar," Warner Bros. Pictures said in a statement Sunday. It also tied the record for the fastest climb -- after its July 15 release, it soared to $1 billion on Sunday. The meteoric rise is among other records broken by Potter, including highest one-day ticket sales ($92.1 million) and midnight premier sales ($43.5 million). The film has now earned an estimated $318.46 million domestically and an estimated $690 million on the international side, according to Warner. "To say that the global response to the film has been extraordinary would be an understatement. We are so proud that this last film in the series has not only reached such heights but has reached them in record time. It is now Warner Bros.' most successful release ever," said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, Warner's president of international distribution. In the finale, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger as the now young-adult wizards band together in a battle of good versus evil in the wizard world. The movies are based on J.K. Rowling's series of novels about the adventures of the orphan Potter, who discovers he has magical powers. The books are a global phenomenon and available in 69 languages. Over the weekend "Deathly Hallows" was fourth in North American box office ticket sales, with "Cowboys & Aliens" taking the number one spot in its debut and raking in $36.4 million. "The Smurfs" also had a big debut weekend as it landed in the second spot with $35.6 million followed by "Captain America: The First Avenger" in third with $25.5 million. (AFP)