Buzz Multiplex: Potterheads vs. Twilighters
by Vera H-C ChanJul 13, 2009
The boy wizard's almost a man now—but he's no vampire slayer. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will shape actor Daniel Radcliffe into a romantic lead. Even as love comes to Harry in the form of his best pal's little sis, Ginny Weasley, is it too late for fickle fans pining for a toothier antihero?
Ever since "Twilight" slipped into the winter void that Potter left behind (when Warner Brothers opted for a summer release date), brooding vampires in body glitter have made wizards playing with wands and brooms look so, well, childish. Plenty of Potterheads have been going through hormonal changes since the first J.K. Rowling book debuted in 1997, and the movie in 2001. They may—as The Wall Street Journal puts it—"prefer the angsty teen romances and cooler, edgier characters."
Teen vampire angst scored a third-place in advance ticket sales and went on to earn $382 million globally. Not that Harry will go begging at his premiere: A Fandango press release reports that Potter No. 6 should pass the "Twilight" record, and Time magazine is calling this latest entry as "darker, richer and all grown up."
But the constant comparisons to the teen vampire series mean that people are seeing "Twilight" as the alpha franchise. Even Twilighters of the studio executive variety feel the need for professional courtesy: They're politely lying low while Harry's around since the "fans cross over so much" (Fandango's survey points to a 45% crossover).
The Potter-mania stirring up searches on Yahoo! shows much of the interest coming from kids under 18. Still, there's a lot of activity, as fans have been refreshing their Potter memories with searches like "list of harry potter books," "harry potter cast,""harry potter characters," "harry potter quiz," "harry potter wands," "harry potter lexicon," and the big question: "how many more potter films." Yet recent online searches for "New Moon"—which won't be released for another four months—almost rivals that of Wednesday's premiere.
Some more Search factoids:
- "Twilighters" tend to be female (85%), with a much bigger age range compared to Potter's youthful appeal.
- Robert Pattinson, a Potter alum who plays the dangerous Edward Cullen, scores nearly triple Radcliffe's online buzz. You can't blame the 18-month cinematic absence: Add up Search buzz from the past 3 years, and Pattinson's still more popular. (Then again, even Radcliffe says Pattinson's the genuine sex symbol.)
- The only person Pattinson has to look out for: Emma Watson, who reaps in more attention than both actors combined.
- Bonnie Wright, the actress who plays Potter's love interest, hasn't had a chance to make an impression. Her searches are up more than 800%, but don't compare to Kristen Stewart.
- Online queries for the "Twilight" cast (thanks to Taylor Lautner) would've beat out the entire Potter cast except for Watson.
With the next "Twilight" movie not due until November 20, moviegoers don't have to choose one over the other. Potter just better be sure to steer clear of Edward Cullen for No. 7.
