Harry Potter back in class: `Chamber of Secrets' opens on record number of screens

NEW YORK (AP) _ It was a minute past midnight Friday, and Daniel Alzuri was ready. <br><br>The 26-year-old and his friends were among the first to see the first showing Friday of the much-anticipated ``Harry

Friday, November 15th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ It was a minute past midnight Friday, and Daniel Alzuri was ready.

The 26-year-old and his friends were among the first to see the first showing Friday of the much-anticipated ``Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.''

Alzuri said he didn't want to risk waiting until later in the day _ and have others spoil the fun by telling him all about the film.

``We weren't going to wait,'' he said. ``We wanted to be the first ones to ruin it for everybody else.''

He and the other die-hard Potter fans at the Loews Theater on 42nd Street may have been the earliest to see the movie _ but many others were expected to be in line later in the day.

As the movie opened around the country, it was to be shown on even more screens in more theaters than ``Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' did a year ago.

But even distributor Warner Bros. conceded ``Chamber of Secrets'' may have a hard time equaling the $90.3 million opening weekend of ``Sorcerer's Stone.''

``There was such an anticipation for the opening of the first one that it would really be extremely difficult and unrealistic that we could open to a number quite that large,'' said Dan Fellman, Warner's head of domestic distribution.

``Sorcerer's Stone'' held the record for best opening-weekend gross until ``Spider-Man'' came in last spring with a $114.8 million debut.

Adapted from the second of J.K. Rowling's best-selling books, ``Chamber of Secrets'' follows Harry through year two at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where he has a rematch with the evil conjurer who killed his parents.

``Chamber of Secrets'' was set to open in a record 3,682 theaters, 10 more than ``Sorcerer's Stone,'' and play on a record 8,500 screens, up about 400 over the first film.

Among those watching on the screen at 42nd Street was Lauren Kent, a 20-year-old student who was knitting a scarf in the green and silver colors of Slytherin, one of the houses at Hogwarts.

``I have an exam tomorrow,'' she said, but, ``I'll study when I get home.''

While it may not break cash records, early reviews generally are calling ``Chamber of Secrets'' a better movie than ``Sorcerer's Stone.'' That's a sign the new film may have more staying power and eventually exceed the $317.6 million total taken in by ``Sorcerer's Stone.''

``We've seen a lot of sequels besting their predecessors lately,'' said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. ``Everyone's saying this one's better, so the buzz is there.''

After seeing the first showing, Jake Epprecht agreed.

``I loved it,'' the 31-year-old student said. ``I definitely think it was better.''

Warner Bros. has tried hard to ensure that ``Harry Potter'' works the same magic again. Child stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint returned for part two, along with key adult cast members and director Chris Columbus.

The filmmakers again followed the text of Rowling's novel as inclusively as possible, producing a two hour, 41 minute movie _ long by family-film standards.

Special effects are improved, and Columbus injects more action and a darker tone into ``Chamber of Secrets.''

``I knew we wanted to get it darker and edgier and more intense, more exciting. The first one had 45 minutes of introduction. This film, we got into the story'' right away, Columbus said.

The sequel also is opening in eight other countries Friday. It will be on about 1,270 screens in Great Britain, up about 70 over ``Sorcerer's Stone,'' and on nearly 1,000 in France, up from 900 for the first film, said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, Warner's head of international distribution.