Its Harry freaking Potter. The final movie is months away, so I thought I should write about the last 14 YEARS of my life.
Let me start with some facts.
Fact 1: J.K. Rowling is now a billionaire - 1.1 billion according to Forbes magazine.
Fact 2: She was unemployed when she finish her first book. So she went from unemployed to a billionaire in less then 10 years. Good for you.
Fact 3. The books have sold over 400 million world wide and have been translated in over 60 languages.
You can say what you want, but Harry Potter is winning. I don't know, but I am willing to bet just about everyone has either, read a book or watched at least one movie. Seriously. With a franchise that is worth billions, I mean he has his own THEME PARK! People come on, you all know who I speak of.
Movies are sold out before opening night. Midnight releases, sometimes even 1:00am and 3:00am showings. On multiple screens! You think I am kidding, ask a movie theater! Action figures, games, bedding, clothing, costumes, wands that light up when you say 'lumos' (if they don't have it they should), bags, website dedicated to harry potter, spin-off books, posters. furniture, food for goodness sake, glasses are cool now, thanks Harry! All of this, all of it because of one kid, Harry Freaking Potter. I remember standing in line at midnight waiting for the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh books.
The characters, she wove in seven books, characters that are unforgettable. Characters that you love like your own best friend and characters you hate and fear. Not just characters, creatures that you wish were real, (or glad they aren't!), a world that you wish you could slip into to be a wizard or even a muggle that is on good terms with them. Jobs that you wish you could have, places you wish you could shop, and yes, battles that you wish you could fight. A school that makes your high school seem, well lacking truth be told.
Harry Potter has spawned paradies and in a round about way made some people rich and famous as well.
For example, Starkid - They do a musical called A Very Potter Musical. Which is funny as hell by the way. It received such an amazing following that they did A Very Potter Sequel. In these stars Darren Criss (among other VERY talented people!! Which for the sake of being fair I will list at the end of this). Darren Criss, you might know, is now a full fledged member of Glee. Don't know Glee, then get out from under your rock, even I know about it. Now Darren Criss is amazing and deserves to be in the spot light, but with out Harry Potter there wouldn't be A Very Potter Musical and he might never have gotten noticed. Chew on that.
Potter puppet pals - a youtube sensation with over a 100 million hits! (that was just on one they have many!) All of this, all of it because one woman dreamed a world unlike any other. And as (not to be too dramatic), an era comes to and end, I find that I ask myself. What's next? There have been great books before and since, there will be great books again. The scope of this book may not be matched for quiet sometime, and probably not in my life time. So what next? I always hate to finish a good book, but in this way I have finished a great series. Now, a great movie series is coming to an end. There will be tears, (read the seventh book you'll know why), there will be laughter. I am happy for the actors, Danial Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint for growing up on stage and being part of a huge phenomenon and doing it with grace and still being people that you can look up to. I am glad Emma will be able to finish college now, and that Dan and Rupert will be able to pursue other acting venues. There are rumors of Rowling making more books, I have mixed feelings. If she were to do another series, different from Potter, I would be happy, but to continue, pre-date Harry, I don't know.
The end of a era, for some people Harry Potter has been their life. Kids that are fifteen, sixteen early twenties even, have been reading and watching movies since childhood. For others, like me, we plan on keeping Harry alive by reading them to our kids. So now we say see you later to Harry Potter. Its not goodbye, not really, for he will always have a place in our hearts, and thankfully we can revisit Hogwarts often, by simply picking up our dear friend and reading again.
Stars of a Very Potter Musical - Darren Criss, Joey Richter, Bonnie Gruesen, Jaime-Lynn Beatty, Lauren Lopez, Joe Walker.
Starkid - There is is the website - enjoy their productions
And I leave you with one last image... Sorcerer's Stone - Now... My how they have grown.
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