Harry works magic at box office

HARRY POTTER and the Order of the Phoenix worked like magic in its US box office debut, taking $44.8 million (€32.49m) for the biggest Wednesday ever, according to studio estimates.

Order of the Phoenix, based on the best-selling novel by British author JK Rowling, also proved an international sensation with an estimated $29.2m (€21.17m) in ticket sales for a worldwide, one-day haul of $74m (€53.6m).

The numbers include midnight screenings in the United States and Canada that brought in $12m (€8.7m).