The latest Harry Potter film has cast its spell over British box office, taking a record-breaking £14.9 million in the UK during its opening weekend, according to figures from its distributor.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, distributed by Warner Bros, has taken $181.4 million (£105.3m) since it opened in 21 countries on Friday, the company added.

It took an estimated $101.4 million (£59m) in its first three days of release across the United States, making it the fourth-largest opening there ever.

It is yet to open in Japan, where the Potter phenomenon has been particularly strong, as well as Italy, Spain, France and Australia. The all-time US opening weekend record is still held by Sony's Spider-Man, which took $115m (£66.8m) in 2002.

In Britain, The Goblet of Fire achieved the most successful Friday ever after taking £4,022,568 in one evening. It went on to better that figure on Saturday, taking £5,638,182, before achieving a record Sunday take of £5,242,960.

The success came despite the fourth instalment of the Potter series and the first to have a British director, Mike Newell, being given a 12A rating in Britain, preventing children under 12 years old viewing the film unless accompanied by an adult.

The film, based on the novels by JK Rowling, knocked the Star Wars franchise off the top spot for box office takings on a three-day opening weekend in the UK. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith took £10,707,574 in its three-day opening weekend earlier this year.

The Goblet of Fire also came well ahead of the first three films in the Harry Potter series.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone (2001) took £9,600,368, The Chamber of Secrets (2002) took £10,259,328, and The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) took £9,508,349.

The latest film follows the 14-year old trainee wizard Harry as he competes in the hazardous Triwizard Tournament and confronts his nemesis, the evil Lord Voldemort.

Yesterday, The Sunday Times reported how Daniel Radcliffe, 16, the actor who plays Harry, has become Britain’s richest teenager.

His earnings have outstripped those of singers Charlotte Church and Joss Stone.

Records at Companies House show that Gilmore Jacobs, a firm set up five years ago by Radcliffe’s parents to manage him but whose ordinary share capital is 100 per cent owned by Daniel, has earned £10 million from the first three films. The next set of accounts, due to be filed next spring, are likely to show another £5 million in earnings.

Insiders in the British film industry say he has now signed a deal worth at least £8 million to make Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth film in the series, which is due for release in 2007.

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