'Harry Potter' casts a spell over the London box office

'Goblet of Fire' leaves the likes of 'The Libertine' and 'Factotum' trailing in its wake.

Nov 22 2005

As expected, Harry Potter dominated the London box office over the weekend, his 'Goblet of Fire' grossing more than the rest of the top ten combined.

Mike Newell's dark take on the franchise took a whopping £816,273 in its first three days, and if the film continues in that lucrative fashion, it could be the biggest of the series yet.

Below the bespectacled wizard, the next three films all dropped a place, although number two pic 'The Constant Gardener' continues to attract large audiences following stellar reviews from pretty much every publication.

Johnny Depp's star power wasn't enough to give 'The Libertine' much of an opening however, with the period piece entering the fray at a disappointing number five.

Former Time Out film of the week 'Factotum' was the only other new entry (at number seven) while kiddie flicks 'Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' and 'Nanny McPhee' continue to pack them in after six and five weeks on release respectively.

Next week, expect 'Mrs Henderson Presents', 'Flightplan' and 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' to do well, although Potter should continue to work his magic at the top.