Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows first appeared on bookstore shelves in 2007, guys. 2007. It’s been seven years since I waited in line at my local Barnes and Noble to purchase the book at midnight, the queue of excited fans zigzagging through the aisles of the store. I remember that night all too well. The anticipation was killing me. I recall being more concerned about whether Ron and Hermione were going to end up together than if Harry was going to come out of his final battle with Voldemort alive. I guess I’m a romantic at heart. Priorities, right?
Just four short years after that night, Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released in theaters. I may or may not have been a blubbering mess. (I totally was). I thought about how the completion of the franchise marked the end of an era for me, and consequently fogged up the inside of my 3D glasses with tears. Harry and I had grown up together. Now he had defeated the most powerful dark wizard of all time, and I was, well, going off to college. I could only assume that must be the muggle equivalent to taking on He Who Must Not Be Named.
Almost three years into my college career later, Harry Potter has, for the most part, seemed like a thing of the past. There have been no more new stories. No more midnight book releases or movie premieres to dress up for. But 2014 is promising to be an exciting year for Harry Potter fans. It’s time to grab a Butterbeer and dust off those old Gryffindor robes. The magic isn’t over just yet.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion opens in Orlando this summer:
Soon we’ll be able to climb aboard the Hogwarts Express and take a ride from Hogsmeade at Universal’s Islands of Adventure all the way to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios. The new Diagon Alley will have all the iconic shops and locations from the books—Ollivanders, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, The Leaky Cauldron and more—as well as a roller coaster inside Gringott’s bank that takes riders down through the vaults. Even the Gringott’s dragon will be perched on top of the building, blowing fire as it looks down on the busy streets below. Exactly how visitors will get into Diagon Alley is being kept secret for now—Harry enters through a magical brick wall, so I wonder what the designers have dreamed up to make the experience as authentic as possible for us muggles!
News about the stage play set to open on the West End:
As my friends and family well know, I’m a huge theatre fan. I think the relationship between the stage and the big screen is very interesting. The past few weeks have been filled with news about plans for big screen blockbusters like Frozen and Back to the Future to be adapted for Broadway. The transition from screen to stage is not uncommon in the pop culture consumed world of today. About a month ago, it was announced that J.K. Rowling would be co-producing a Harry Potter play. It’s set to be about Harry’s pre-Hogwarts years as the boy in the cupboard under the stairs. I’m intrigued. If done correctly, I think there’s a lot of potential here. It’s a great opportunity to explore Harry’s character’s background. I hope they add in other characters as well—maybe Hagrid and Dumbledore watching Harry grow from a distance, or a young Ron and Hermione.
Details About J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts Screenplay:
When the news was released that J.K. Rowling had not only approved the production of a second movie franchise based on her book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but that she was also writing the screenplay herself, I was pleasantly surprised. As a source material, Fantastic Beasts doesn’t give us a whole lot of background on the character of Newt Scamander. However, I have full confidence that his story is worth telling. I don’t think Rowling would have said yes to the project if she didn’t think she had a quality tale worthy of returning to the wizarding universe and expanding upon it. Plot details have yet to be announced, but producer David Heyman assures us, “it’s going to be good.” We should learn more about the project this coming year.
Get excited, guys. “We are the Fandom Who Lived.” Nothing will ever keep Harry from holding a special place in our hearts—not the newfound obsessions that may have replaced the old, not the busy college grind, not even the frightening and hectic transition into adulthood.
As J.K. Rowling said herself, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home.