-
-
Related
Boy wizard Harry Potter is back in cinemas soon this year with
the sixth instalment of the movie franchise, and another box office
bonanza looks assured for the Warner Bros studio.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince promises high-speed action,
dark and dangerous battles with the forces of evil, budding romance
at Hogwarts school for wizards and the expected death of a
prominent character.
The wait has been a long one for Potter fans around the world who
have followed the fate of Harry and his friends through the seven
best-selling books by British author JK Rowling.
Warner Bros pushed the release date of Half-Blood Prince back from
2008, leaving a two-year gap since the fifth movie Harry Potter and
the Order of the Phoenix and the final novel Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows.
The release of Potter books and films are major events for the
entertainment industry, both because of the passion fans share for
the stories, dubbed Pottermania in the media, and the amount of
money they generate.
The seven Harry Potter books, which began in 1997, have sold more
than 400 million copies worldwide and turned Rowling into a
multi-millionaire publishing phenomenon.
Magic numbers
The five movies released so far have grossed $7.1 billion in ticket
sales, and box office experts see little reason to doubt that the
sixth instalment will fall within the $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion
range, a huge amount for a single film.
"This is just a remarkable franchise that has consistently drawn
blockbuster numbers each time out, and it is hard to imagine this
picture not continuing that trend," said Brandon Gray, president of
tracking firm Box Office Mojo.
Pent-up demand is expected to ensure a big opening in the key North
American market and in countries like Britain, after which
word-of-mouth will be a key factor.
The fact that the Potter story is now complete may mean some fans
lose interest, but US advance online ticket sales look strong,
according to MovieTickets.com.
Two films are being made from the Deathly Hallows book, part one
scheduled for release in November 2010 and part two in July
2011.
In Half-Blood Prince, Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore is intent on
preparing student Potter for a final showdown with the evil Lord
Voldemort, who is seeking to tighten his grip on the worlds of
wizards and non-wizards, or Muggles.
Love is in the air as Harry, played by Daniel Radcliffe, is drawn
to Ginny, Ron (Rupert Grint) catches the eye of Lavender Brown and
Hermione (Emma Watson) simmers with jealousy.
"It's all about sex, drugs and rock n' roll," British director
David Yates told The Daily Telegraph.
"Okay, maybe we should take the 'drugs' out. Really, this film
is more sex, potions and rock n' roll."
Yates made Order of the Phoenix and is directing the Deathly
Hallows pictures.
Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.
