Harry Potter ? heard of him?
The magical protagonist returns tonight with the worldwide release of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final installment of author J.K. Rowling?s series of fantasy novels about a young magician?s perilous quest through wizardry school and adolescence.
More than 325 million of the six preceding best-selling Potter stories have been sold worldwide, with more than 121 million of Rowling?s novels in print in the United States, according to Scholastic Corp., the books? U.S. publisher.
The worldwide release of “Deathly Hallows” is scheduled for 12:01 a.m. Saturday. An estimated 12 million copies of the book have been printed for the first U.S. sale, and book sellers are holding Potter-themed parties and extending hours in anticipation of the release.
“I think excited is probably an understatement of how we?re feeling about (the release),” said Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic?s book fairs and trade. “Everyone is talking about Harry and what will happen in the book.”
The 784-page “Deathly Hallows” is selling for $18 on Amazon.com and for $21 on BarnesandNoble.com. As of Thursday, about 1.4 million copies of the book were preordered from Amazon.com and more than 1.2 million were preordered from Barnes&Noble.com.
“The Harry Potter series is obviously a modern classic,” Holton said.
Amazon.com has been tracking Potter fans across the country. Maryland ranked ninth among the 50 states and the District of Columbia with regard to Potter preorders. Laurel ranked 42nd among the top 100 U.S. towns and cities in preorder numbers.
The book?s release will provide a boost to the publishing business and local retailers, said Richard Clinch, director of economic development at the University of Baltimore.
“It?s going to be an event, bookstores are planning parties for the release, and that brings customers to the bookstore,” Clinch said. “People are there, buying other things and spending money, so it has a positive effect on bookstores.”
At The Mall in Columbia, Borders Express will extend hours for customers who preordered as well as for the general public, closing at 9:30 p.m. and reopening with festivities at 10 p.m.
The store will have several Potter-related activities, as employees will wear costumes and hold a Potter spelling bee and Potter bingo, said Asa Williams, marketing manager for The Mall in Columbia. More than 1,000 books have been pre-ordered at Borders Express.
“The promoters of Harry Potter do a great job of building the excitement with each release,” Williams said. “We?re definitely excited.”
ON THE BIG SCREEN
The film adaptations of the first four Harry Potter books all rank in the top 20 highest box-office grossing films of all time.
“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer?s Stone,” the first film, grossed more than $976 million worldwide ? fourth-highest in history.
The fifth film, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” is now in theaters.
