Fads come and go, but phenomena are few and far between.
When author J.K. Rowling created Harry Potter, she re-invented the wheel for fantasy fans, but she also seems to have managed to do the impossible: Rowling introduced a new generation, used to the instant gratification of television, to the marvels of reading.
She enticed young (and not-so-young) readers to explore the fantastic world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where boys and girls fly on broomsticks, disappear in invisibility cloaks and make feathers fly with magic wands.
And Hollywood hopes to continue that enticement with the just released “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” The movie seems to have done that–bringing in an estimated $90 million over the weekend.
Malibu “Potterites” were part of the mass excitement as they eagerly waited to see their imaginary friends come to life on the big screen at The New Malibu Theater on Friday night.
Although the Malibu opening was not as crowded as others in larger cities, it did bring the unusual sight of a line waiting outside the theater, going past Pizza Hut.
Harry Potter first captured children’s imagination when he appeared in the 1997 book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Before long, the extraordinary tale of the young British orphan who could master the art of flying on a broomstick became a trend of its own, attracting the attention of children and adults alike.
Malibu resident Sally Emr, said, “My 9-year-old granddaughter, Melanie, read every single book as they came out. She told me to read them so we could talk about them.”
While Potter fans of all ages came to the theater, a few were not yet convinced about Potter’s prestige. Robby Mohr, 12, has not read any of the Potter series.
“I hope to be pleasantly surprised,” said Mohr as he waited in line to purchase tickets. “And if I like the movie, I’ll read the book.”
His friend, Annabel Simer, 16, read all four books. “I think I like the third one most,” she said.
Zack Sher, 12, decided to read the first book to see what the hype was all about.
“I like it, but it was kind of corny,” he said, not convinced that the excitement is justified. But he still gave Potter a chance and came to see if the movie is illustrative of the book.
Teenage skepticism aside, young and old Potter fans that were already converted, couldn’t wait to see the story come to life on-screen.
“I was reading the books to my son, Dylan, but we were going too slow, so I read them by myself,” said Malibu mom Colleen Morris.
“It’s a great story. It all comes down to the imagination of the author,” said Morris, giving an adult’s point of view on the magical pull of Harry Potter. “It will be so nice to finally visualize what I see in my mind.”
As she sat in the theater, watching trailers on the screen, Julia Pegeler noted the author’s personal achievements. Before she authored Potter, Rowling was on welfare. “Now, only the queen is richer,” Pegeler said, impressed by the writer’s ability to create a novel that attracts so much attention.
Pegeler came to see for herself if it really is the best movie of all time.