Harry Potter Is A Fraud. Muggles publication Forbes casts a jaundiced eye on how the film broke box office records: “The movie opened in 3,672 theaters and on 8,200 screens–about one out of every four screens in America; most Potter theaters played the movie on more than one screen. By contrast, 1999’s Star Wars: Episode 1–The Phantom Menace played on about 5,000 screens in its opening weekend, when it took in $65 million.

Prices have been rising steadily, too. In 1997, when the old three-day record was set, the average movie theater ticket price was $4.59, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. By 2000, the price had risen 17% to $5.39.”