Harry Potter 5 sets new UK box office record

LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,'' the fifth film about the boy wizard, set a new British box office opening record over the weekend, taking 16.4 million pounds, Screen International said today.

Including Thursday previews, it was the highest-ever four-day weekend take.

Taken over just Friday to Sunday it took 13.0 million, a figure which has only ever been beaten by one other film -- its predecessor ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,'' in November 2005.

Globally, the film has taken 164 million pounds in its initial release, according to estimates from its Warner Bros studio.

It knocked ''Shrek the Third,'' last week's UK chart-topper, into second place after two weeks at number one while ''Die Hard 4.0'', the fourth testosterone-fuelled outing for Bruce Willis' maverick detective John McClane, was down one at three.

Also down one, at four, was ''Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer'', a former number one in which a group of superheroes fights to save the planet.

At five, down from four, was casino caper ''Ocean's 13'' while ''Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' was another faller at number six. It has grossed 40 million pounds in Britain since its release two months ago.

Seventh, down from six, was horror film ''Hostel: Part II'', one above newcomer ''Moliere,'' a fictionalised account of the French playwright's early career.

New at nine was Bollywood thriller ''Naqaab'' while down two at 10 was ''La Vie en Rose'', a biopic of French singer Edith Piaf.

Reuters SKB MIR KP1910