Way back in 1990 a young woman once found herself on a crowded train to Manchester when a boy by the name of Harry Potter fell into her head. Of course, that lady was none other than J.K. Rowling, one of the most successful authors of the last century. The world was forever changed when the author finally published her first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in June 1997, but Rowling couldn’t have had an inkling of how popular her story would become.
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It has been almost 20 years since Harry Potter was introduced to the world, and the franchise now stands as one of the most popular to ever reach readers. In an ever-divided world, Harry Potter has bridged cultural boundaries like never before. The series has been translated into more than 73 languages and has sold 450+ million copies worldwide, making it the most-selling book series of all time – and that’s not to even mention Harry Potter‘s blockbusting history on the big screen.
Later this month, the franchise will return with a new cinematic spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The upcoming film has revived once dormant fans of Harry Potter back into full-blown Potterheads. With a new film on the horizon, Harry Potter is poised to show-off its lauded status as a pop culture behemoth.
So, of course, ComicBook.com has taken the time to breakdown how Harry Potter came to bewitch the world.
The Story
Before anything else, there is the story. Books are only so good as their content, and J.K. Rowling created one of the most immersive stories in recent decades within her Harry Potter novels.
Not only does Harry Potter feature Tolkien-esque levels of world-building, but J.K. Rowling packaged its complexity to suit readers of all ages. While the first Harry Potter novel teased fans with a short story and surface-level details, Rowling’s following installments became more detailed and expansive.
The growing level of complexity allowed readers to grow with Rowling’s magical universe as the years passed. Regardless of one’s age, they could age alongside heroes like Harry and Hermione, and Rowling’s charming prose kept fans coming back for more.
The Books
When Harry Potter debuted, it wasn’t an immediate success. The children’s book was a quick hit with middle-grade readers, but word of mouth is what brought the franchise into the big leagues. By the time Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was published in 2000, millions of readers were eagerly anticipating the novel – and Rowling knew how to milk their suspense.
Each Harry Potter novel had at least a year’s delay between them, giving readers time to agonize over the last’s cliffhangers. The time also allowed readers to gather and gossip about the next novel.
By the time the next book hit shelves, fervor over the franchise was at an all-time high with fans. The excitement was only compounded when book stores such as Barnes & Nobles began hosting midnight release parties for Harry Potter releases, prompting retailers to order hundreds of thousands of books to satiate fans – and they almost always sold out.
The Movies
If you haven’t read the Harry Potter books, then you have at least seen or heard about its film adaptations. The first film premiered back in 2001, and moviegoers flocked to the exciting, family friendly franchise year after year. Today, the eight films have made the Harry Potter franchise the second highest-grossing film series ever, and it will soon welcome new movies to its collection.
Of course, live-action adaptations of popular books aren’t unusual. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is one franchise that did justice to its source material, but Rowling approached her adaptations a bit peculiarly. Instead of handing over her creative control to Warner Bros., Rowling retained production credits and was heavily involved with the direction of each film.
Her firsthand knowledge of the wizarding world helped directors such as Chris Columbus and David Yates flesh out an authentic vision of the Harry Potter universe. Clearly, the author’s insight was something that both Potterheads and casual moviegoers appreciated.
The Fandom
With the advent of the Internet, groups of fans found themselves congregating into online fandoms – and a massive following sprung up in honor of Harry Potter. Millions of fans from across the world connected with one another because of the franchise, and much of that mingling was done with active fandom communities.
Even though they were derided at first, fansites such as MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron were pioneer forums for Harry Potter fans to chat about their favorite books. Today, those sites are just two of thousands which are dedicated to all things wizarding.
Earlier this year, The Leaky Cauldron even broke records with its annual fandom convention, LeakyCon. The immersive event was held in Los Angeles to record-breaking attendances as thousands upon thousands of fans brought their wands to the con.
Rowling has been an integral supporter of her readers and the Harry Potter fandom. Most notably, the author co-launched the website Pottermore for fans to read exclusive stories and brush up on their wizarding world lore online.
The Escape
If you could visit a world filled with magical adventures and real-life heroes, wouldn’t you want to go? Should you answer ‘yes’ to that question, then it is about time you picked up a Harry Potter book; The franchise will whisk you away to an escapist world where anything is possible.
Harry Potter‘s chronological sequencing and intense world-building lets readers live through the franchise. When you pick up a book or watch a movie about the boy wizard, you are sucked into a world where broomsticks are real, love potions work, and love conquers even the darkest magic. The series gives fans the perfect excuse to live vicariously through its heroes, even if it does strap them into a twisted emotional rollercoaster at times.
However, Harry Potter fans wouldn’t have it any other way.
