When the clock struck 12:01 on Friday the 15th of July wizards around the nation began their final journey with Harry Potter. Days before the movie even showed Potter fans lined up in front of theaters across the country to begin what would be the last camp out of their Harry Potter career. People who were once strangers bonded over this story and friendships began. The passionate fans behind this series came out in full force and ready to go out with a bang. Costumes ranged everywhere from dressing in everyone’s favorite house colors to the deceased Dobby the House Elf and the loveable Luna Lovegood. People were dining on cauldron cakes, licorice wands and butterbeer trying to fully experience the magical world one more time. You could feel the crowd’s mixed emotions as they entered the theater for the last time. You couldn’t help but be excited to finally see the last installment play out on the big screen but then you remember this is the last time and sadness takes over again. There is something about a midnight showing that is hard to explain. You can immediately feel the adrenaline and excitement from people waiting for the movie to begin (sitting by a life size Dobby also adds fuel to that fire.)
For the last time the crowd burst into applause as the Warner Brothers logo appeared stoic like on the screen. Sitting with our Harry Potter shaped 3D glasses on the crowd was ready. Spoiler alert: You could hear the sniffling as Harry made his way through the Forbidden Forest so that Voldemort could kill him. Full on sobs broke out as you relived Snape’s love for Lilly Potter and the crowd erupted as Mrs. Weasley spoke the infamous line “Not my daughter you bitch!” and finished off Bellatrix. By far the best part of the midnight showing was the crowd’s laughter when Voldemort hugged Draco and the awkwardness was palpable. Ten years worth of movies has lead to these final moments with Harry and the gang and they couldn’t have ended it in a more fitting way.
Earning a near perfect 97% approval rating on rotten tomatoes, Harry Potter didn’t disappoint and broke nearly all box office records. The final installment took in 43.5 million dollars in just in midnight showing beating the previous record holder The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which brought in 30 million. Harry Potter also has the highest single day gross with 92 million dollars, the highest weekend domestic gross with 169.2 million dollars and the highest global weekend with 468.2 million dollars. In total the final Harry Potter film has earned 542.5 million within just four days, proving that the Harry Potter legacy is here to stay.