Bonnie Koenn--Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One was released on Nov. 19.
Harry Potter: the boy who lived, the boy who inspired the viral “Potter Puppet Pals,” the boy who captured the hearts of audiences in 67 languages and the boy whose journey is coming to an end?
On June 30, 1997, JK Rowling’s first literary adventure “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” was released, catapulting her out of poverty and onto the bookshelves of readers worldwide.
After Rowling’s books became bestsellers, it was only natural for a string of movies to follow.
So fast-forward 4,890 days (or 13 years, four months and 20 days) to Nov. 19, 2010 and the film “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One,” directed by David Yates, is released.
The final book was split up into two movies, as a result of the herculean 759 action-packed pages in the book. In addition, the chance to cash in twice on these sure-to-be blockbuster hits could not have been a deterrent from the decision to go with a two part finale.
For many California Baptist University students, the movie’s premiere is a historical event in their lives. They have grown-up along side Harry, Ron and Hermione. Rowling’s characters have become this generation’s friends and now it is time to say goodbye to them.
“I grew-up on Harry Potter, I have been reading the books since I was 11 and now that it is coming to an end, it’s like I am losing a part of my childhood,” junior Krista Rodriguez said. “Harry Potter was the thing that made me want to pursue English as a major and now that it’s over it’s like I’m losing a friend.”
The final book has a dark story line with mature themes, that are sure to make the film into an interesting piece of cinema. “I can not wait to see the fighting scenes,” Rodriguez said.
Fans of the series have been speculating about the point at which the movie will end. Rodriguez predicts that the ending will be a cliffhanger that will leave audiences holding their breath until part two is released on July 15, 2011. “I hope they end the movie after Ron returns,” she said.
This eight month gap seems to be a little excessive for some. “It’s going to be horrible having to wait that long for part two,” Amanda McDivett, senior, said. The two movies were filmed back to back and filming wrapped in March of 2010. Since then the movie’s stars, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, have been busy promoting the film.
They grew up in these roles and gained new freedom with their release from their almost decade-long contracts. Watson made fashion waves when she cut her hair into a short pixie-style.
“I read all of the books when I was younger, so this is sort of like a second ending to the series for me. I think it will be fun to see how it’s adapted for the screen. Every series comes to an end eventually, but I guess some of them sort of get to do it twice,” Ruth Richards, senior, said.
Richards looks upon the series fondly.
“The movies are always released around the same time as my sister’s birthday, so it’s become a tradition that we go see them together. After this we have one more to go,”shesaid.
The books and movies have touched many CBU students and when talking about this beloved series sometimes English just does not suffice.
“Hasshhhssssssshhshsshsssh,” sophomore David Chambers, said in Parseltongue, the language of the serpents from the series. “And Crucio, Imperio, Sectum Sempra, and last but not least AVADA KEDAVRA.”
