Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Releases Into Theaters
Rowling’s series in book form came to a close with Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. But to finish the movie versions, three more adaptations had to be completed. The first was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince released into theaters in 2009. To kick off the past decade, Warner Bros. split the final novel of 759 pages (in the U.S.) into two installments Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2. The first was released during fall 2010, leaving fans waiting two years for Harry to hunt down the horcruxes and the wizarding world to battle The Dark Lord once and for all in 2012.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Is Built
When The Wizarding World of Harry Potter came to fruition at
Universal Orlando in July 2010, the magical community of Potterheads experienced
walking into Hogwarts Castle, drinking Butterbeer, and letting the wand choose
them at Ollivanders for the very first time.
When visiting the theme parks now, it's hard to believe that it started from such humble beginnings. Since its grand opening in Florida, the attractions expanded from a sole site of Hogsmeade Village to a sister location Diagon Alley – adding dozens more shops, restaurants, and special experiences for fans to try starting in 2014. Additionally, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been added to Universal Studios theme parks around the world in California and Japan. Not even Professor Trelawney could’ve foreseen the dramatic changes the fantastical themed land would go through over the next several years.
When visiting the theme parks now, it's hard to believe that it started from such humble beginnings. Since its grand opening in Florida, the attractions expanded from a sole site of Hogsmeade Village to a sister location Diagon Alley – adding dozens more shops, restaurants, and special experiences for fans to try starting in 2014. Additionally, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has been added to Universal Studios theme parks around the world in California and Japan. Not even Professor Trelawney could’ve foreseen the dramatic changes the fantastical themed land would go through over the next several years.
Warner Bros Studio Tour London Opens
The wizarding world as we know it wouldn’t be the same
without the incredible artistry of set builders, prop masters, seamstresses,
and designers who brought Rowling’s world to life on film. To share the magic of the franchise, sets, costumes, and
props were preserved for an eventual studio tour in London. Its eventual grand opening featured actors from the series in March 2012, and has expanded with sets from The Great Hall,
Gryffindor Common Room, The Forbidden Forest, 4 Privet Drive, Gringotts Bank, Platform 9 ¾, and so much more. The tour gives fans an
unforgettable up-close and personal deep dive into the magic behind the movies.
Pottermore Becomes Wizarding World
When the final Harry Potter film was released, fans were
left wondering how they could experience the series all over again. The
community didn’t have to wait long for Pottermore to launch in 2011. The site
initially started as an outlet for fans to get sorted, let the
wand choose them, cast spells, solve puzzles, and re-read the series through interactive modules. Over time,
however, the site was entirely transfigured into a
news-driven hub for everything Harry Potter related in 2015. The website underwent another transformation in 2019 by officially converting to WizardingWorld.com, a digital-based hub for mobile
games, apps, news, features, and a subscription service.
J.K. Rowling’s Post Harry Potter Career
When the seventh novel was released in 2007, only time would
tell what the author would do with the next step of her career. The first was writing a politically charged mystery The Casual Vacancy, which
was greeted with lukewarm reviews in 2012. To challenge her reputation and
experiment in another genre only a year later, Rowling attempted to secretly
publish a new detective series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, which received mixed reviews and would later be adapted into a BBC series.
The beginning of her career working in other genres didn’t stop an unexpected return to the wizarding world. She started to pen the screenplays and produce Fantastic
Beasts and Where To Find Them as well as Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Additionally, Rowling’s presence on social media in its heyday received unwavering
support from fans, however, started earning criticism for her stance on
certain issues such as the controversial casting of Johnny Depp in FantasticBeasts, appropriation in her wizarding world expansion, and herview on transgender rights.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Becomes The Official Eighth Story
Rowling never ultimately confirmed or denied that her
beloved series would continue after releasing her final Harry Potter title. In
2016, the announcement of the official eighth Harry Potter story created another round of wizard mania. Released as two-part play inspired from an original story by Rowling, writers Jack Thorne and John Tiffany send Albus Potter, Scorpious
Malfoy, and Rose Granger-Weasley on a time-traveling adventure at Hogwarts. The script was originally published in book form, receiving
divisive reviews from die-hard Potterheads. Previews of the play began summer
2016 in London, and has picked up multiple awards as well as expanded to more theatres
around the globe in New York City, Australia, Germany, and San Francisco.
Nineteen Years Later
Various dates throughout the Harry Potter novels marks funoccasions for Potterheads to celebrate and add a dash of magic to the muggle world.
One date – September 1st – holds a special place in fans' hearts as
the day that students gather at Platform 9 ¾ to board the Hogwarts
Express and set out for another magical year attending Hogwarts. But September
1st, 2017 marked the official epilogue of Harry Potter’s journey as readers finally learned that "all was well". Known
under its chapter title “Nineteen Years Later”, fans around the world celebrated the
pivotal moment from the series with countdowns of their own and visits to both
Kings Cross Station in London and Platform 9 ¾ at Universal Orlando Resort.
The Wizarding World Expands to Mobile Games
From its digital hub to tours and exhibitions, there’s no
limit of ways to experience the charm of Harry Potter in the real world. Mobile games took the
immersive element of experiencing day-to-day life in the wizarding world to another level. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
launched in April 2018, inviting fans to create a Hogwarts-inspired avatar and
explore a series of mysteries as Hogwarts. In June 2019, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
recruited fans to join the hunt for special creatures, charms, and items in a
location-based augmented game that lets users cast digital magic in their own backyard.
Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure Opens
Similar to Nymphadora Tonk’s ability to transform her
appearance, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort has
received a small face lift. The former rollercoaster attraction Dueling
Dragons, inspired by Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, officially closed
for a complete overhaul in September 2017. Its replacement was one of the most
anticipated attractions for Harry Potter fans and theme park enthusiasts: Hagrid’sMagical Creatures Motorbike Bike adventure, where wizards and witches journey
on Hagrid’s famous motorbike around the Forbidden Forest. After almost two years of construction and
groundbreaking technological developments, the ride officially opened on June
13th, 2019 with fans waiting in line for hours to experience the game-changing attraction first.
Fantastic Beasts Franchise Begins
As the Harry Potter series was released for the first time,
Rowling also wrote companion novels for charity such as The Tales of Beedle the
Bard and Quidditch Through the Ages. The small series of books were inspired by
textbooks Harry and his friends use throughout their time at Hogwarts, which the
third title Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them inspired a spin-off film series
starring Eddie Redmayne.
Originally intending to be a three-movie deal following famed magizoologist Newt Scamander on his quest for magical creatures, the first film apparated into theaters November 2016. As Rowling tends to cast curveballs, eventually the franchise was expanded to five films – its first
sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald expanded on the backstory of
Newt’s life as well as Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s intense relationship in
November 2018. The latest installment picked up controversy with the casting of
Johnny Depp as well as fan debates over unique revelations about longtime
canon. The series has three more films to go starting in 2021 and promises to usher in more unpredictable and memorable moments for the
next decade.
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