Well, it almost seems silly to talk about this in light of recent developments in Queens, but it's all I have to talk about right now. And until more information is known it does no one any good for me to start lobbing opinionated articles at people. So for now...indulge me as we talk about something a bit far removed from the brave new world in which we exist.

A Post-Potter World

I started thinking about what's going to happen once Harry Potter hits. Because I honestly believe this is going to be the biggest cinematic thing the industry has seen since Titanic. So I wanted to give you my thoughts on the matter: the good, the bad, and the highly indifferent.

What You Can Expect This Weekend and Beyond

Harry Potter is going to be the fastest film to hit $100 million in the history of cinema. Period. I would bet good money that that record definitely is going to fall. It might also break opening night records, three-day weekend records--who knows? Records are going to topple like freaking dominos. Expect it to do $300 million domestically on a bad day. As Tobias pointed out to me yesterday, how is it going to do internationally? In Germany? In Asia? Who knows? The Potter books, last I heard, were a phenom everywhere they got translated--so we'll see.

This weekend it's going to be Potter and Monsters Inc. and everything else behind it. Monsters Inc. will be the spillover movie of choice. Can't get into Potter? See Pixar. So expect it to do some good coin.

Potter will rule all maybe until Ocean's 11 shows up on December 7th. Then it might finally fall down a notch once Lord of the Rings hits. But regardless, expect to hear a lot about it now and ongoing.

What Hollywood Will Learn From This

They will learn that there is coin in the fantasy books of young adults. You can expect stuff like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, which has been in development hell for an eternity and a half, to get dusted off. They'll probably take forever to get going--look at the recent outflux of comic book movies JUST NOW happening after the relative success of X-Men--but they'll be here, for better or for worse. Why for worse? Well...

What Hollywood Won't Learn From This

Part of the reason that Harry Potter will do so well is because, according to all reports, it is extremely true to the book. A Harry Potter that had completely flubbed this would still have had the momentum to make $150 million before the kids had revolted and pelted the WB execs with Bernie Botts Beans, but that won't be necessary.

Unfortunately, no one in Hollywood will understand this. Even if Lord of the Rings becomes a monster hit, as true to the book as that seems it will be, they still won't see the writing on the wall...or in the book, if you rather. Everyone thinks they can do better than the book--and although sometimes there are places to do improvements, most of the time they're flat wrong. See last week's rant if you need a refresher course in why.

The other thing that Hollywood isn't going to see is this: Britishisms can work over here. Name another big adaptation of something that's British where they kept the thing British. Even stuff in development. Can't, can you? Good Omens they tried to Americanize. Hitchhiker's Guide they felt couldn't translate. Forget the fact that Harry Potter is Columbus directing a Brit cast.

Mark my words, this is how it's going to play out.

And you know what their defense will be? Well, it's Harry Potter--that's different.

As the Brits would say..."wankers."

What You Need to Remember

I know you're going to be all excited about the possiblities. But Harry Potter is a fluke. Don't be tricked into a feeling of safety. No piece of literature is safe. Not even the second Harry Potter book is safe. It's all, even with the same creative group doing the second film, up for grabs. Hollywood gets a $300 million film, and they think, "Wow, we could do $400 million if we just gave Harry Potter a wacky American fast-talking sidekick!" No, I'm not joking. You know in your heart of hearts it was discussed it was discussed--or soon will be.

Just remember. It's Hollywood. And they'll never learn.

Be good.

=Widge.