The "Harry Potter" books have left an impressive legacy. "Potter" cast a spell worldwide as the books flew off the shelves in record numbers. Boasting sales of more than 400 million copies worldwide, the franchise is the fastest selling in history. It is also without a doubt one of the most successful series ever. What makes "Harry Potter" even more amazing is that the movies will also leave behind a great legacy filled with achievements.
For a decade, fans have had the opportunity to follow Harry, Ron and Hermione on the big screen. We were able to witness as they grew up from film to film. Even with director changes, the 'Potter' movies have managed to keep almost every actor consistent through the eight films. Apart from Albus Dumbledore, the principle actors are the same from the first movie to the last. It is a feat that may never be rivaled.
The quality of the movies has also improved. The special effects were always on par with the industry, but the acting was a struggle at some points. The actors playing Harry, Ron and Hermione weren't the best when they got started but they have me convinced now. While many thought 'Deathly Hallows: Part 1" was slow, I thoroughly enjoyed the acting. I remember saying "they finally got it" when I first watched it.
Another major accomplishment is how the movies were received. While a die-hard fan will tell you the books are better, most still have a soft spot for the movies. Even the critics enjoyed them. No Potter film has scored below a 78 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and the final installment currently sits at 96 percent. The overall average for the eight films is 85 percent. Those numbers are pretty impressive considering some of the acting in the first movies.
The last achievement is how much money the movies have raked in: over $3.2 million worldwide. This doesn't even include the $25 million that Deathly Hallows part 2 has made in preorders. As if revenues aren't high enough, movie merchandise such as games and clothes have also made hundreds of millions.
The "Harry Potter" movies have truly left behind an impressive legacy. It may be hard to stand in the shadow of the books, but the movies have done just fine. While none have won best picture they will truly be remembered through their accomplishments. It seems as though even after the books were completed, "Harry Potter" had one more spell to cast. And what a spell it was.
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