A post-Potter world
And so it came to pass that a boy wizard would survive Dickensian neglect, grow into a considerably stable but rather diminutive young adult and, with his friends, take an entire generation on a journey that would span 10 years and seven films. That the Harry Potter franchise managed to do that in an epically lucrative fashion — and become more compelling as its audience aged — is Expecto Patronum at work, a spell that can and should only be cast once in a lifetime.
The box office receipts of its farewell, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, may have ultimately justified the Michael Bay-like destruction of Hogwarts and the annihilation of illustrious British actors. But it’s the preview of the future, 19 years after that apocalyptic wand-off, that made the conclusion to the conclusion less of a funeral and more of a graduation. A glimpse of the next generation, Albus Severus Potter and Hugo Weasley, boarding the train at Platform 9 3/4 rounded out the film series perfectly, even though it seemed superfluous and hastily cobbled in the novel.
Family-friendly fantasy: Martin Scorsese has adapted Brian Selznick’s graphic children’s book The Invention of Hugo Cabret for the big screen. Called Hugo, the film is a departure from the director’s more typical fare, such as Gangs of New York, The Departed and Shutter Island. In a way that scene symbolized how things would look post-Potter. As we wave goodbye to J.K. Rowling’s multimedia enterprise, we say hello to a few upstarts that could just be the next big things in pop culture.
What: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Could be: The new Harry Potter
Why: The fact that it’s nearly impossible to duplicate the success of J.K. Rowling’s wizard-focused brand hasn’t stopped eager producers from adapting young adult books, from The Chronicles of Narnia series to Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, for the big screen. The Invention of Hugo Cabret would like to be the exception.
Brian Selznick’s illustrated work of fiction — about a 12-year-old orphan, clock keeper and thief who lives secretly in the walls of a 1930s Paris train station — made its TV debut in The Today Show in May 2007 as the first book in Al Roker’s Book Club. Now it’s on its way to becoming a 3-D extravaganza.
Boy wonder from Down Under: 14-year-old Cody Simpson may be called the poor man’s Justin Bieber, but he’s bound to make the pop world a bit more interesting as far as his tween fans are concerned. Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Jude Law, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Emily Mortimer and Ray Winstone, the film is slated for a Nov. 23rd release. The all-important Thanksgiving opening, moved up from its original date of Dec. 9th, is one sign that Sony Pictures really wants this to be a hit. Of course, having Martin Scorsese direct it is another.
Who: Cody Simpson
Could be: The new Justin Bieber
Why: The Queensland, Australia native is similar to the Canadian pop star in many ways: Both have signature hairdos, both were first noticed on YouTube, and both have singing voices that suggest neither has reached puberty. While the latter is 17; the former is only 14, which makes the “Baby” singer Cocoon-like by comparison.
Broom for improvement: Airing immediately after The Vampire Diaries in September, The CW’s The Secret Circle stars Britt Robertson (third from left) as Cassie, a girl who discovers she’s part of a coven of witches after moving to her mother’s hometown. Now based in Los Angeles, the Atlantic Records artist may be the poor man’s Justin Bieber — Flo Rida is his Usher! — but when it comes barely-out-of-the-uterus crooners, no one said you had to be original.
What: The Secret Circle
Could be: The new Vampire Diaries
Why: Vampires were huge two years ago and werewolves may be all the rage this summer, but come fall, witches are set to take over the small screen. The CW’s The Secret Circle, based on the book series by L.J. Smith, author of The Vampire Diaries, follows a California teenager who learns that she comes from a family of witches.
With a cast that includes Life Unexpected’s Britt Robertson and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Thomas Dekker, The Secret Circle may succeed where the short-lived ABC show Eastwick — a TV version of the John Updike novel The Witches of Eastwick — failed. Kevin Williamson is on board as executive producer so the series, which premieres on Sept. 15, 2011, should be visually interesting at the very least.
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