On the Boy Who Lived’s birthday, dive into the Harry Potter craze!
Potterheads across the world celebrate Harry Potter’s birthday on 31 July. The boy wizard shares his birthday with his creator JK Rowling
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The Books: The first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997 to immediate popular and critical acclaim. Six further best-selling books followed. They have been translated into over 80 languages, won multiple awards, and sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, becoming the best-selling book series in history. AP File
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Spinoff Franchise: Since the series ended with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, there have been a number of spinoffs, most of which have been penned by JK Rowling herself. These include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Quidditch Through the Age, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and The Tales of Beedle the Bard among others. AFP
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The Movies: The seven-book series was made into eight highly successful films. Although not all Potterheads like them, the film series has made over $7.6 billion in worldwide box office (without the Fantastic Beasts franchise). Reports have it that Harry Potter was the most-searched movie franchise in 75 countries in the world, according to data collected in June 2022. Image courtesy: Warner Bros.
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Movie Spinoff: Nearly ten years after the first film’s release, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) became the first film in the spin-off/prequel Fantastic Beasts series. A sequel, titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was released on 16 November 2018, third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released on 15 April 2022 and two additional instalments remain in various stages of production. Warner Bros./ Liam Daniel
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Theme Parks: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a chain of themed areas at Universal Parks and Resorts based on the Harry Potter media franchise, adapting elements from the Warner Bros.’ film series and original novels. The areas were designed by Universal Creative from an exclusive license with Warner Bros. Entertainment. There are currently four of them in Orlando (Florida), Japan, China, Los Angeles (California). Wikimedia Commons
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Legos: The first Lego sets appeared in 2001, to coincide with the release of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Subsequent sets were released alongside the new films, until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The line then went dormant for three years, with sets being released in 2010 and 2011. Image courtesy: Lego/WB
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Merchandise: The Harry Potter stores at Heathrow, Gatwick and King’s Cross (UK) generated more than $26 million of revenue during a 15-month period across 2018 and 2019. And this was before Warner Bros opening its first official Harry Potter flagship store in New York in 2021. Unofficially, businessmen and traders across the world have used the movie and book franchise to sell merchandise, from tiffin boxes to aprons, and rake up profits. mugglenet.com
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Cafes and Bars: The Harry Potter books did not just inspire movies, spinoffs and theme parks; they also inspired cafes and bars across the world. The books mention various kinds of food like cauldron cakes and butterbeer and they have inspired menus. Here, is a Singapore café named Platform 1094. Image courtesy: Facebook/ Platform1094
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Theatre: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was adapted into a two-part play in 2016. Written by Jack Thorne, based on the original story, its preview played at the Palace Theatre, London, on 7 June 2016, and it premiered on 30 July 2016. The play opened on Broadway on 21 April 2018 at the Lyric Theatre, with previews starting on 16 March 2018. londontheatre.co.uk
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Fanfic, fanart and tattoos: The Harry Potter craze down the years have inspired people to come up with their own fan fiction and art, while some got inked. Phrases like Albus Dumbledore’s ‘Always’ and the symbol of Deathly Hallows are some of the commonest designs Potterheads opt for, say tattoo artists. Facebook/Siriusblackfansofficial
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