Harry Potter and the £7bn series

Published on Friday 22 July 2011 17:41

IT STARTED off as a twinkle in JK Rowling's eye as she scribbled her notebook in an Edinburgh cafe.

But now, the stories about the boy wizard Harry Potter have become the biggest grossing series of films ever - earning more than $7 billion (4.3bn) at the box office.

The final film was released worldwide just a week ago.

Warner Bros, which owns the rights to the eight Harry Potter films, described the figure as a "stunning achievement".

The films are based on the seven novels written by JK Rowling, who lives in the Grange area of Edinburgh.

The studio decided to split the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, into two movies. It is the first of the Harry Potter films to be available in 3D.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 opened on 15 July amid much anticipation from fans eager to witness the final battle between Harry and his nemesis Voldemort.

Although the total does not take into account inflation, and attendance figures have generally declined throughout the series according to some analysts, the franchise has been a major success for the Hollywood studio.

Speaking about the franchise, Dan Fellman, pictures president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros, said: "These numbers are amazing, but they are only part of the story. It is impossible to quantify how thrilled and grateful we all are that both critics and audiences - especially loyal Harry Potter fans - continue to support the film."

He added: "This is the culmination of an extraordinary decade, and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of many, many people on both sides of the camera, beginning with the brilliant JK Rowling, as well as producer David Heyman. We applaud them all."

The film, which stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter and Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as his friends and sidekicks Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, shattered global box office records when it grossed $476 million over its opening weekend.

The cast for the final part of the series also includes Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman.

However, the end of the Harry Potter series will leave a serious hole for Warner Bros, which has relied heavily on the Harry Potter films over the past decade.

A senior Warner executive has said the studio would rely partly on its successful DC Comics unit - which produces material featuring characters including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern - to fill the void.