LOS ANGELES -- Harry Potter continues to work box-office alchemy, turning his latest movie adventure into a worldwide blockbuster.

The sixth installment, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," took in $79.5 million domestically over opening weekend and $159.7 million since debuting last Wednesday, according to estimates from distributor Warner Bros. on Sunday.

The movie also took in $237 million overseas since Wednesday in 54 countries, bringing its worldwide total to $396.7 million.

With some of the best reviews of any "Harry Potter" movie, "Half-Blood Prince" was off to the fastest overall start in franchise history.

The weekend's top 5

1. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," $79.5 million.

2. "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," $17.7 million.

3. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," $13.8 million.

4. "Bruno," $8.4 million.

5. "The Hangover," $8.32 million.

Associated Press