Megaplex Theatre Ranks #1 In North America for Opening Day Sales to Harry Potter

Megaplex Theatres, Utah—The Megaplex Theatres, part of the entertainment division of the Larry H. Miller Group, Inc., had a record breaking opening day in sales and attendance to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah ranked #1 in total box office sales out of thousands of theatres in the and . The Megaplex 20 at the District in South Jordan ranked #5 and the Megaplex 12 at the Gateway ranked #6. Other Megaplex Theatres also received top rankings for opening day of Harry Potter.

“Over the years we’ve had an energetic and loyal fan base to the Harry Potter movies,” said Dick Cornell, Megaplex 17 Theatre Manager. “On opening day, the five Megaplex Theatre locations had already pre-sold over 90,000 movie tickets. Utah movie fans love and embrace this type of film. They dress up in costume. They cheer and can’t wait for the fun to begin.”

According to the Nielsen EDI ratings report, the Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons grossed $145,322 on opening day of Harry Potter making them the top theatre in North America. The Megaplex 20 at the District grossed $92,282 which was a #5 ranking and the Megaplex 12 at the Gateway grossed $87,693 for a #6 ranking.

“It was great that we were able to out gross all other cities including California, Texas, New York and Arizona even when ticket prices in those areas are up to $11-12 per person,” continued Cornell. “We couldn’t have achieved this status without the support of our movie patrons who we will continue to strive and give the best possible service.”

Part of the success of the Megaplex Theatres is attributed to the latest in Digital Cinema presentation. Movie goers now have an option of seeing Harry Potter in a 35mm film auditorium or a Digital Cinema auditorium. Digital Cinema provides guests with the ultimate movie going experience with crisp image quality, including images with more than 35 trillion different colors and true, uncompressed digital sound.

Another reason for the Megaplex Theatres success is reserved seating. “Nothing is worse then arriving to a movie and not being sure if you’re going to get a good or bad seat or a seat at all,” said Blake Andersen, Megaplex 20 at the District Theatre Manager. “Reserved seating eliminates the need to stand in line for hours and gives the guest time to purchase food and then stroll right into the movie.”

Reserved seating is a more convenient and time saving process. Movie patrons can reserve seats online, at an automated ticket kiosk or at the theatre box office. There is no additional cost and reserved seating can be purchased minutes or weeks before a movie show time. In the theatre auditorium, seats are numbered by row and location that correspond to the reserved seating movie ticket. Movie guests still have an option of traditional theatre auditoriums or reserved seating auditoriums.

Movie patrons can also enjoy seeing Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in IMAX^â 3D only at the Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons. With a six story tall screen, moviegoers will be transported inside the film to experience the action, drama and wonder of Harry Potter as never before.

Another element of the success of the Megaplex Theatres is due to the private and cooperate theatre buyouts. The Megaplex Theatres have an industry leading events and services department that schedules advanced movie buyouts. The events department also does full catering, birthday parties, private functions and business meetings.

For movie times and ticket information to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix call 801-304-INFO or go online to www.megaplextheatres.com. Additional information can also be found online at the Megaplex Theatre website about Digital Cinema, Reserved Seating and IMAX 3D.

About Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts only to discover that much of the wizarding community has been led to believe that the story of the teenager’s recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort is a lie, putting Harry’s integrity in question.  Worse, the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, has appointed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, the duplicitous Professor Dolores Umbridge.  But Professor Umbridge’s “Ministry-approved” course of defensive magic leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared to defend themselves against the Dark forces threatening them, so, at the prompting of his friends Hermione and Ron, Harry is convinced to take matters into his own hands.  Meeting secretly with a small group of students who name themselves “Dumbledore’s Army,” Harry teaches them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that lies ahead.  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.  This film has been rated “PG-13” by the MPAA for “sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images.”

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