'Mission,' 'Holmes' do more than $1 mil at midnight

'Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol''Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows'Paramount ignited its week-early domestic run of ''Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol'' in high fashion, with the pic earning $1.1 million from just 425 large-format midnight and late-night screenings.By comparison, the last ''Mission: Impossible'' earned the same amount from more than 2,000 midnight runs.Warner Bros. also screened this weekend's wide release of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" late night Thursday for a total $1.25 million from 1,650 locations. (The first "Sherlock" opened Christmas Day 2009 without late-night showtimes.)Par, which partnered mostly with Imax, released ''Ghost Protocol'' a week before its nationwide release on Dec 21. exclusively at large-format houses -- a first-ever strategy meant to appeal that format's core fanboy audience. ''Ghost Protocol'' expands over the Christmas frame to more than 3,000 Stateside engagements.The large-format engagement benefited from an average $3.50 to $5 premium ticket surcharge, however. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com