The first 'Harry Potter' movie just hit $1 billion at the global box office 19 years after it was released

• "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," which was first released in 2001, crossed $1 billion at the global box office this week after being rereleased in China, where theaters have started to reopen.
• The movie earned $13.6 million on 16,000 screens in China over the weekend.
• It's the second movie in the franchise to hit the milestone, joining "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2."

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," the first "Harry Potter" movie released in 2001, finally joined the billion-dollar club 19 years after first hitting theaters.

Warner Bros. released a 4K 3D restoration of the movie in China over the weekend, where cinemas have started to reopen after being closed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The movie pulled in $13.6 million over the weekend on 16,000 screens, Deadline reported. Now, it's total global gross is just over $1 billion, according to Box Office Mojo.

It's the second "Harry Potter" movie in the franchise to hit the milestone, joining the final entry, 2011's "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2," which grossed $1.4 billion.

Theatrical releases in the US may face greater challenges at the box office.

Major chains like AMC Theatres and Regal are set to reopen their doors in the US this week ahead of movie releases like "New Mutants" and "Tenet." But a new Morning Consult survey on Tuesday showed that audiences are hesitant to return. Of 2,200 US adults surveyed, only 17% said they would be comfortable going to the movies immediately.

All eight "Harry Potter" movies are currently streaming on WarnerMedia's HBO Max, but will leave the service next week. They'll be available on rival NBCUniversal's new streaming service, Peacock, in October.

NBCUniversal initially held the digital rights to the movies through 2025, but WarnerMedia struck a last-minute deal for them to be available on Max at launch. The movies will be available on Peacock in windows over six months starting in October.