It’s Potter Mania!
Harry Potter Casts Its Spell Beyond Books and Film

By: Daniel Kuo and Sharifah Chammas

Not since the Beatles has a British import sparked such fan mania and revenues.   J.K. Rowling’s bespectacled, teenage wizard, Harry Potter, has become a worldwide phenomenon and has managed to captivate a massive cross-generational following.  He’s also helped Rowling become the first billionaire author in history.

The Hogwarts adventures of Potter and friends have cast their wide spell on the entire world.  Here are some of the industries and areas that have been enchanted by Rowling’s magic:

Books:  The series that started it all is reported to have sold over 325 million copies in 65 different languages worldwide.  Almost 7 million copies of the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, were sold in the first 24 hours, and a record 12 million copies of the final volume, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, have been published for its release.

Movies:  The movie adaptations only rank behind James Bond and Star Wars as the highest-grossing film series of all time, and there’s still two more to go. 

Merchandise:  From Hagrid and Hermione action figures to Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans to Gryffindor wall hangings, anything and everything in merchandise has become charmed by Harry Potter.

Postage:  Great Britain has issued seven postage stamps picturing each of the covers of the bestselling books.  According to the Royal Mail, 340,000 people have pre-ordered the stamps, breaking a record set by stamps depicting the “other” British sensation – the Beatles.

Music:  Bands such as Harry and the Potters, the Whomping Willow, and the Remus Lupins have developed an indie music genre dubbed “wizard rock.”  The duo Harry and the Potters were formed in 2002, and play such songs as “Voldemort Can’t Stop The Rock” and “Save Ginny Weasley.”

Theme Park:  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, situated on 20 acres in the Universal Orlando Resort, is scheduled to open in 2009.  The lead designer is Stuart Craig, an Oscar-winning producer who has worked on previous Harry Potter films.

Security:  The security guarding the secrets of J.K. Rowling’s final novel has rivaled that of top-secret government reports.  Despite Scholastic’s best protection spells, however, images of pages from the book have been leaked to the Internet prior to the novel’s release.

Share your thoughts on this Potter Madness!

If you are a member of the Harry Potter fan club or still scratching you head wondering what the hoopla is all about, we want to hear from you. 

Send your messages to news@canyon-news.com so we can post what you have to say regarding this Potter Mania.

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