'Hallows' becomes top-grossing 'Potter'

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One has become the highest-grossing film of the magical series in international markets, Warner Bros. has announced.

The opening half of the finale of J.K. Rowling's popular saga has passed the first movie Philosopher's Stone, which was released in 2001.

The latest film has now grossed $657.24 million (£406.31m) in markets outside of the US and Canada, eclipsing Philosopher's Stone's total of $657m (£406.10m).

"It's tremendously gratifying to reach this benchmark as we enter the final stretch of this remarkable journey," Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group said. "We share this achievement with Jo Rowling, whose books are the foundation of this rich and vibrant world, as well as the talented people who brought her vision to life on the screen."

The Harry Potter series has already become the top-grossing film franchise of all time, with a combined worldwide gross of $6.37 billion (£3.9bn).

The final film, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part Two opens in cinemas on July 15.

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