Werewolves, warlocks, and warriors, oh my!

Lizzy Burke and Monica Nair
Reporters

This year, on November 18th, Breaking Dawn broke 200 million dollars in box office sales and reached the title of the fifth-biggest opening weekend of all time. Such numbers make students wonder just how these series achieve their series appeal. A popular event for series fanatics is attending the midnight premiere.

On attending the Harry Potter midnight premiere, junior Pete Johnson said, “It was a great social event, but staying up so late [once on a school night]showed my true support for the series.”

Today’s entertainment industry has been overwhelmed by the success of series, including both popular movies and books. Some target narrower audiences, such as the “teenage girl” fan base of the well-known Twilight Saga, while others appeal to older, more mature audiences, such as Lord of the Rings trilogy. Our generation, in particular, has been marked by the Harry Potter series, one that has captured us at a young age and stuck with us throughout our childhood and into our young adulthood.

Despite each series popularity, there is always the enduring conflict of which will prevail the book or the movie. “I have to be honest and say that the Harry Potter books are definitely ten times better. There’s so much more detail and so many more events that were left out of the movies,” said junior Will Hennessey.

However, he did admit that there were some components to the movies that triumph over the books. “They give perspective, and a face to the character. Everyone who reads the Harry Potter books has a different idea of what the characters look like. The movies are good because they let you see a character outside of your mind,” he said.

Pete also agreed that the book was better by a long shot, but held different ideas on how the book and movie compared. “Obviously things are left out of the movies that readers may have liked to have seen, but it’s so that people who have never read it can enjoy and understand the movie as well,” he said.

Junior Isabelle Schipper added that the movies are an easy way to understand the series for someone who hasn’t read any of the books. “I think movies are a good representation for people who don’t want to read the books, but if you have read the books, they don’t have, like the same amount of depth or emotion to them,” she said.

However, followers of Harry Potter were at a loss for words when trying to describe the essence of the series. I don’t know if there is anything else that motivates me to be so passionate. They were great books that were fun to read and still are,” Pete said.

Isabelle felt her passion for the books and movies come from a secret fantasy. “I have this deep desire to have magical powers, but I just don’t talk about it. I think that it would be a cool thing to have for myself,” she said.

Sophomore Charlotte Rosenberg agreed that the magic drew her to the series, especially Twilight. “Twilight dwells on the triumphs of love. Every scene is like a dream, and that’s what makes watching it so special. I can only hope the remake lives up to the original,” she said.

After a series finale, all fans wonder, what is in the cards for the fate of these stories?

“I think [Harry Potter] will be one of those movies that our parents saw as kids that people will watch but might not be as into it,” Will said.

When questioning if the Lord of the Rings would be around by the time our generation has children, Sarah said “It better be! I know that I’m going to read Lord of the Rings to my children and show them these movies.”

Isabelle agreed. “I think it’s kind of a bummer, but I can always go to the library and rent the movies or check out the books,” she said.

The newest to the phenomenon, The Hunger Games trailer brought some speculation on the success of the series, and how it may compare to the stories our generation already knows and loves.

“Every series follows the same themes. Ones of love, loss, bravery, etc. are highly prevalent in most adventure series,” Sarah said. “It’s hard to say that one is better than another, because they are different stories that different people can relate to.”

Charlotte agreed that there is a conflict of deciding. “Even after reading both Twilight and The Hunger Games, it’s hard to choose one over the other. Both stories exist in the reader’s own world, and the experience people have with them cannot be compared,” she said.

Whether you’re a fan of these series or not, there’s no denying their extensive influence on all who have followed. You can’t avoid the countless tweets on the night of a big midnight premiere, or ignore the restless chatter in the lounge after the release of a new book. These stories have made their mark on the fantasy world, and on all those who believe.

Students were comforted in knowing the phenomenon would always be there. “The stories have developed through our whole childhood, and we can still watch the movies. It’s just something that will always be there,” Will said.