Just about a year shy of the 20th anniversary of the debut of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" (UK title), the series, written by J.K. Rowling is still going strong.
From book or movie releases to Harry Potter-themed lands in multiple theme parks, the franchise continues to come up with new ways to captivate audiences all over again. Fans from around the world have followed the phenomenon about “The Boy Who Lived,” and essentially grew up as part of the never ceasing to exist, Harry Potter Generation.
Interactive website Pottermore.com allows fans to dig deeper into the series and unlock new content and information about the ever-growing wizarding world canon. Most recently, a new story has been added to the site surrounding the magic that lies within North America.
In the summer, a stage production will debut in London about the lives of the adult protagonists, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Even a book for the screenplay will follow soon after.
Later this year, fans get another movie, though it isn’t one that is of the primary book series.
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” follows the journey of Newt Scamander, a wizard who eventually writes the textbook of the same name.
With all these amazing things happening for the beloved franchise, fans are excited that the books they grew up with, continue to play a big role in their lives many years later.
So what exactly is it that continues to captivate audiences? It doesn’t have that same feeling of 70’s nostalgia that Star Wars has. It doesn’t have that giant expanded and ever-changing universe that Marvel and DC Comics have established from many years ago. Yet to this day, you can spot a fan with just a look at the lanyard attached to their car keys, or even a laptop sticker depicting the Deathly Hallows symbol.
For some, it’s simply that they were given the opportunity to grow up with Harry over the years.
When the series started out, he was turning 11-years-old and didn’t have the best upbringing in a loving home. By the time the series ended, Harry was 18 and had all the love and support he could have never imagined only seven years prior.
The pre-teen years are a confusing time for many. It’s a time where a kid is on a road that only seems to get rougher. Gone are the days of being carefree without responsibility. Real life hits, and it hits hard.
Not everyone may have the same difficult journey, but following the life of someone who didn’t have much because his “family” didn’t care for him, gives a person hope that things can get better.
Readers were able to step into a world where their problems in reality didn’t matter. The universe Rowling created became something so real and somehow struck a chord with millions of people.
Even adults wanted to see what all the buzz was about, and yet another fan base was formed.
Every little detail in the wizarding world that Rowling wrote about in each book ultimately had symbolic meaning and it had fans on the edge of their seats trying to figure out what would happen next.
When characters died, fans felt as if they lost a loved one. When the series ended, the fans were able to continue living it all over again through the movies.
Now with all the exciting things on the way for the Harry Potter franchise, those part of this generation of readers and movie-goers can come together yet again and bond over their shared love for a series that changed the world.
Although a North American school of witchcraft and wizardry has recently been announced, there’s no doubt that fans will still don their respective Hogwarts house colors with pride to the next trilogy of movie premiers.
For all the amazing things to come, have a Butterbeer, and cheers to the never-ending Harry Potter Generation!
