UK movie-goers spent a whopping £23.8million on Prisoner Of Azkaban over the film's opening weekend.

It beat a record previously held by film two, Chamber Of Secrets. Before that, the record belonged to the first Potter film - Philosopher's Stone.

The nearest rival to the three Potter films is Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, which managed £15 million over its opening weekend.

Azkaban's success in the UK follows bumper sales for the film in the US, where fans spent £50. 21million on tickets in its first three days.

That's more than for either of the first two films, and the third biggest opening weekend ever in the US, behind Shrek 2 and the first Spider-Man film.

The fourth film, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, has already started shooting, with Mike Newell directing.