Today is the day Harry Potter-crazed fans (myself included) have waited breathlessly for – the final chapter on our favorite lightning bolt-scarred, bespectacled wizard on the big screen.
Mashable’s
Summer Blockbuster Series takes a look at the social media campaigns behind the season’s hottest movie releases, and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” may be the summer’s most anticipated film yet.
To say the Harry Potter franchise has a devoted following would be an understatement. Fans have historically lined up for hours and dressed in their favorite character costumes for each film’s midnight premiere – and the release of the series’ final installment was no different.
The social media buzz leading up to Part 2’s premiere has reached a pinnacle, with more Facebook likes, tweets and YouTube hits than ever before. Here’s a quick look at the stats (at the time of this writing):
• 29,195,639 fans have “liked” the
Harry Potter Facebook page
• 349,110 fans follow the
@HarryPotterFilm Twitter account
• 8,520,987 fans have viewed the
Harry Potter YouTube channel
The Harry Potter franchise significantly ramped up its social media marketing activity for the eighth and final installment, incorporating new interactive features, behind-the-scenes footage, cast interviews and movie trailers on its social media sites. Due in large part to this frequently posted bonus materials, the Harry Potter Facebook page gained nearly 100,000 new fans per day in the week leading up to Part 2’s London premiere in early July, building the buzz for the film’s release both abroad and stateside.
The loyal Harry Potter fan base has also created a slew of wildly popular fan sites (including the
The Leaky Cauldron and
MuggleNet), which have helped fuel excitement for the premiere. These sites, combined with the recently announced
Pottermore (created Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, coming later this year), are a sure sign that the series’ fan following will continue to surge even after the film’s credits begin to roll.
While the social media campaign’s impact on box office sales is yet to be seen, Part 2 is already on track to gross the series’ highest tickets sales ever and break opening-weekend records set by “The Dark Knight” in 2008.
According to the Los Angeles Times, thanks to 10,000 midnight screenings on Friday and nearly sold-out IMAX shows through Saturday, the movie had already garnered an estimated $45 million before the doors had opened for a single showing.
Are you planning to check out “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” this weekend?