The full impact on the global boffo take of the Harry Potter video piracy streaking across the far East is not yet known but elsewhere, HP is still doing a roaring trade.
While it looks unlikely that it will beat Titanic's record gross, HP opened in another 14 territories last week, taking in a handy USD153m internationally inside three weeks.
The latest crunched boffo records include: Australia - Biggest single day gross Greece - Biggest opener Iceland - Biggest opener Israel - Biggest opener Japan - Biggest single day, opening day, Saturday and Sunday. Spain - Biggest opener Thailand - Biggest opener for a western film (second biggest of all time)
Our 'arry isn't champeen the world over though, missing out on all-timers in Argentina, France (but broke records in Paris despite running time issues) Mexico and South Africa where it was actually overtaken by local comedy, Mr Bones.
Stateside, the domestic take slumped nearly 60 points and although Warner's distribution chief Dan Fellman is confident of a Christmas plateau, many fear Lord of the Rings will ambush the market when released.
Meanwhile LOR prod co, New Line are enduring the big sweat prior to their movie's release as nothing short of a sensation will save their bones as an independent force.
The trilogy will need to break some serious records if they wish to remain autonomous from AOL Time Warner, who currently oversee New Line's activities.
New Line currently sit ninth in the table of US domestic distributors - Warner are top, above Universal, with over a billion from 2001.
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While it looks unlikely that it will beat Titanic's record gross, HP opened in another 14 territories last week, taking in a handy USD153m internationally inside three weeks.