Thousands of Harry Potter fans descended on movie theaters in Winston-Salem on Tuesday night to get their first glimpse of the latest film in the series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Midnight screenings sold out in nine theaters at the Wynnsong 12 on Hanes Mall Boulevard.
"We've never, as far as I know, sold out that many theaters for a midnight showing," said Jeannie Ratermann, the assistant manager at the Wynnsong. She has been with the company for nine years.
Early estimates at the Wynnsong gave the turnout there at 1,684 people. Many of them, youngsters and adults, turned out in costume.
"There were Gryffindor robes everywhere," Ratermann said.
The movie will be shown on two screens through this weekend, and the theater expects that many of the screenings to sell out.
Ratermann said that the theater is recommending that people buy tickets in advance either at the box office or through www.fandango.com.
The Carmike 10 on Reynolda Road played the movie on three screens Tuesday night, two of which sold out, with close to 600 people turning out.
The movie will be shown on one screen there through the weekend. The theater is also recommending that people buy tickets in advance at the theater or through www.fandango.com.
The Grand Theatre on University Parkway declined to give audience numbers but said that the film had been shown on six screens the first night.
It will be shown on four screens there through the weekend. Advance tickets for The Grand are available at the box office or online at http://thegrandtheatre.com.
Nationwide, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was shown on 3,003 screens and made $22.2 million for its midnight screenings, breaking the $18 million record set by The Dark Knight, according to Variety.
■ Tim Clodfelter can be reached at 727-7371 or at tclodfelter@wsjournal.com.
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