Potter of Gold: 'Deathly Hallows, Part 2' Passes $1B

On the eighth try, Warner's highly lucrative Harry Potter franchise passed the $1 billion mark.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" is being absolutely carried by the hot international box office, with $690 million banked to date.

Not that the domestic market has been bad to the film, either -- its taken in $318.5 million through this weekend.

Here's Warner's press release:

“HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2”

CROSSES $1 BILLION THRESHOLD

The last is now first, as the finale becomes the top-grossing title in the film series.

BURBANK, CA, July 31, 2011 – Continuing its record-breaking run, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” has surpassed $1 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming the first in the series—and just the ninth film in cinema history—to reach that benchmark.  The announcement was made today by Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution, Dan Fellman, and President of International Distribution, Veronika Kwan-Rubinek.

Adding to the records already achieved, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” tied the record for the fastest climb to $1 billion.  The finale of the blockbuster motion picture franchise crossed the billion dollar mark on Sunday, July 31, only its 17th day in release in North America, as well as most international markets.  The film has now earned an estimated $318.46 million domestically and an estimated $690 million on the international side for a worldwide total to date of approximately $1.008 billion, already making it the top-grossing film in Warner Bros. Pictures’ history at the global box office.

Dan Fellman stated, “What’s truly astounding is that these kinds of numbers are being achieved so early in the film’s release.  The movie’s excellent reviews, outstanding word-of-mouth and repeat business will ensure that Harry Potter will be charming moviegoers for months to come.”

Veronika Kwan-Rubinek remarked, “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, and there is still plenty more to come.”

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” is the final adventure in the Harry Potter film series.  In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war.  The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe.  But it is Harry Potter who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climactic showdown with Lord Voldemort.  It all ends here.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson reprise their roles as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.  The film’s ensemble cast also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Ciarán Hinds, John Hurt, Jason Isaacs, Matthew Lewis, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, David Thewlis, Julie Walters and Bonnie Wright.

The film was directed by David Yates, and produced by David Heyman, David Barron and J.K. Rowling.  Steve Kloves adapted the screenplay, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling.  Lionel Wigram is the executive producer.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” is the first Harry Potter film to be released in both 3D and 2D.  Concurrently with its nationwide theatrical distribution, the film is being released in select IMAX® theatres.  The film is being distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  It has been rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.

.Jon Cryer 'Jazzed' About Ashton Kutcher Joining ‘Men’

Speaking out for the first time, he also expresses “enormous gratitude to Charlie Sheen for eight great seasons.”

Speaking out for the first time about the drama surrounding CBS’ Two and a Half Men, Jon Cryer thanks Charlie Sheen for his hard work but also expresses excitement about returning to the show with new star Ashton Kutcher.

"I want to express my enormous gratitude to Charlie Sheen for eight great seasons,” he says in a statement to People. “I'm extremely proud of the work we've done together, and I will miss him. But I'm also looking forward to this new beginning."

The Hollywood Reporter first reported Thursday that Kutcher has been tapped to replace Sheen; CBS, Warner Bros and Kutcher confirmed the news Friday.

"Ashton is an extraordinarily talented guy, and his presence will be an asset to our show," Cryer tells People. "We are old friends from our male modeling days, and we're both looking forward to being judged for our comedic artistry, as opposed to our exceptional physical beauty. I'm jazzed about the news this morning that Two and a Half Men is coming back! For all the rest of the cast and crew I'm sure they are equally excited.”

Kutcher also is excited to begin working.

In a Tweet Friday, he wrote: “Thank you for all the Congrats on 2.5. Met with the team this morning.... We are already working on earning your Laughter.”

Sheen, who was fired in March after a weeks-long media circus that had the actor attacking everything from Alcoholics Anonymous to his boss Chuck Lorre, remains bitter about the Kutcher news.

Taking a shot at the show, he told TMZ Friday, "Enjoy the show America. Enjoy seeing a 2.0 in the demo every Monday, WB."

Then, in a comment Kutcher slamming Lorre, Sheen added, "Enjoy planet Chuck, Ashton. There is no air, laughter, loyalty, or love there."

Sheen thinks 'Men' 'was getting a little stale'

Charlie Sheen is enjoying life after “Two and a Half Men,” but feels sorry for the fans who will never saw his character get a proper send-off.

“It’s nice to have closure with ‘Two and a Half (Men),’” Sheen told Access Hollywood on Thursday night at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s 8th Annual Gala in Beverley Hills, Calif.

“177 episodes, it was getting a little stale. I just didn’t know it was going to rot and fall off the vine like this,” the actor continued. “I feel bad for the fans because there was never that final episode where (Jon Cryer’s character) Alan like comes into my room calling my name and, you know, pulls back the closet door and there I am hanging ... with the note, ‘How do you like me now, Chuck?’”

The headline-making star said fans of the CBS comedy might see a final moment with his character — at least, possibly his own take on it!

“I feel bad that there was never that,” he continued. “Maybe I’ll do a web version of it. We’ll produce that one ourselves”

Adding, “I’ve had a lot of ideas and a lot of goals and I’ve been unable to pursue any of those for a while and now I feel like I’ve been liberated to go do those things.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, series co-creator Chuck Lorre has developed a reboot of the comedy without Sheen’s character. The new version of the series would reportedly feature Jon Cryer and a new, yet-to-be-cast character.

Warner Bros to offer movies through Facebook

Warner Bros is making some of its films available on Facebook, opening up a new revenue source for the Internet social network and signalling new competition for online entertainment companies.

Consumers can pay for the movies using Facebook Credits, a virtual currency so far used mainly in social games on the site, according to Warner Bros, a unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), on Tuesday.

Facebook, which makes money mostly through online advertising, takes 30 percent of the revenue from sales by third parties on the website using Credits.

The service will initially be available in the United States, the company said.

The streaming of full-length Hollywood films on Facebook creates a new role for the 500-million-plus member social network, which has grown into one of the most powerful Web players by making it easy to share photos, videos and other content with friends.

In a note to investors on Tuesday, Goldman Sachs analyst Ingrid Chung said Facebook represents a long-term threat to online rental service Netflix Inc (NFLX.O) that caught Wall Street investors by surprise.

"The 'wisdom of friends' could be a bigger driver of movie viewership than the 'wisdom of crowds,'" wrote Chung.

Shares of Netflix closed 5.8 percent lower at $195.45 on Nasdaq.

However, Lazard Capital Markets analyst Barton Crockett said in a note to investors that online pay-per-view services have not proved as popular as subscription-based movie services, and noted that the Warner Bros offering is a "far cry" from Facebook launching a subscription service.

Shares of Apple Inc, which offers pay-per-view movies online, rose 0.1 percent to $355.76. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O), which also rents movies online, fell 1.3 percent to $166.89.

It was not immediately clear whether other movie studios were planning similar projects with Facebook.

The first movie available on the Warner Bros Entertainment page on Facebook is "The Dark Knight". Additional titles will be available for rental or purchase in the coming months.

Rentals cost 30 Facebook Credits, or $3, for 48 hours, and viewers can pause and restart a movie whenever they log back in.

One person close to the Warner-Facebook project told Reuters that it was not a partnership, but rather, a Facebook application that Warner developed on its own, using the website's open payment and technology standards.

More than 400 games and applications use Facebook Credits, the company said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. "We're open to developers and partners that want to experiment using credits in new and interesting ways, and we look forward to seeing what they come up with."