Will the Economy Kill Harry Potter?

Forget Lord Voldemort. It may be the recession, the credit crunch or whatever you want to call it that may actually kill Harry. And by kill, I mean that the final book in the beloved series won’t make it to the screen. Don’t believe me? Well, it’s not beyond rumor yet, but the main screenwriter of the series says the bean counters at Warner Brothers are scared… and it ain’t of the creepy guy missing a nose.

We’ve already seen Disney run from the Narnia franchise. Seven book series, huge fan base, etc… Yes, they are expensive and Prince Caspian only made about half what the first film did, but Dawn Treader would probably have been a profitable film nonetheless. Still, I can see the logic in dropping out of that set of films. But Harry? Harry Potter? The highest grossing franchise in history? Bigger than Bond, Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings…

The Independent quotes Steve Kloves as saying that Warner Brothers is “worried” about the financial prospects of the final three films (Half Blood Prince plus the two-part Deathly Hallows). Wow. The Order of the Phoenix cost $150 million to produce and took in almost a billion dollars globally. And the suits are worried? Again, just a bit of hearsay via the writer, but if a sure thing like the conclusion of the Harry Potter series is NOT a sure thing in this world…then this economic crisis finally has me worried!

For you Potter fans, don’t worry about the Half Blood Prince. That one will be in theaters next year. Just make sure to see it multiple times and buy the DVD to ensure the finale makes it to the screen. I for one can’t believe “The Deathly Hallows” is really in jeopardy, but then again, the world is a bit cuckoo these days.