Harry Potter and his school chums are heading back to class a little sooner than expected.

Warner Bros. distribution boss Dan Fellman says "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" now is opening Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than its previous release date.

That gives the movie a head-start on the weekend during what's shaping up as a highly competitive summer season for Hollywood.

It's the second date change for the sixth installment in the adventures of the boy wizard. "Half-Blood Prince" had been scheduled for release last fall until the studio bumped it to this July to take advantage of an open weekend in Hollywood's busy summer season.

(China Daily/Agencies, April 15, 2009)