Harry
Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (later changed to
Sorcerer’s Stone in The U.S.), the first novel of the seven book series, was
first published in Britain in 1997. Since then J.K. Rowling has experienced
extraordinary success. Her novel was the first children’s book to reach the New
York Times bestselling list since the release of Charlotte’s Web in the 1950s. In 1998, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in the United
States, also achieving huge success. Rowling continued writing and published
two more books before 1999 came to an end. That year Warner Brother’s also
gained the rights to the series and production on the first film began. Since then, 7 novels and 8 films have been
released, making J.K. Rowling the first self-made billionaire through writing
books. The books have won awards such as the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, Whitaker
Platinum Book Awards, Best Fiction prize in Goodreads Choice Awards, and many
others. The books have been translated into 67 different languages and have
sold over 400 million copies worldwide, making it the bestselling series ever. In
addition, the final novel Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows is the fastest selling novel of all time, selling
11 million copies in the first 24 hours. The novels are considered by many to be
literary classics.
As
of 2012, the Harry Potter films are the most successful film franchise of all
time, beating out the Star Wars and James Bond series. Over a period of ten
year, 8 films were released grossing over $7.7 billion. Each filmed has
achieved success and recognition in its own way. The first film was the most
successful until the release of the final installment, Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows Part 2. As I mentioned in my last post, the series may be
complete, but it is never truly gone. Through the love and admiration of its
fans, the Harry Potter franchise will continue to grow and gain money. I can
say with confidence that Harry Potter is not going away any time soon.
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