Potter magic beats Hobbits

Photo / Supplied

Pottermania has knocked The Lord of the Rings off its pedestal as the highest-grossing film on its opening day of screening in New Zealand.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, the final film based on the J.K.Rowling books about the teenage wizard, sold $973,285 of seats in 149 cinemas across the country on Thursday, shattering the previous record of $919,000 set by the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.