By Lubna Abdel-Aziz One of the richest women in the world just got richer. Advance ticket sales for the new Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince outpaced all others in advance sales history. The sixth fantasy boyhood adventure could be the biggest film of the year at the global box office. Opening simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic, it has triggered a wave of "Pottermania" around the world, spreading faster than any flu epidemic. J. K. Rowling's best selling series, released the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, 2 years ago, became the fastest selling book on record. There is no end to the popular appeal and commercial value of the boy wizard and his adventures at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The London premiere saw the young stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grinch, and Emma Watson, greeted hundreds of fans at the London premier. They all wore white ribbons as a tribute to actor Rob Knox, "the half-blood prince," who was murdered in May 2008 in southwest England. Originally planned for a UK and US release last May 2008, fans were disappointed when Warner Bros. decided to push the date back to July 15th of this year. Half Blood Prince is the sixth Potter story predicted to break more box-office records as the screen adaptations are beginning to wind down. In total so far the Harry Potter movies have become the highest grossing film series of all time with $4.8 billion in worldwide receipts. Following The Half Blood Prince book, No. 7 will be split in two films to be release in 2010 and 2011. By then, who knows what more records it will break, and to what higher heights it will soar. With time the Rambos and Rockys began to bore us, but Harry Potter simply gains in strength and appeal. The principle cast is kept strictly British, preserving the character and ambiance of the story. This was the condition placed by the author before she would sell the film rights. She did not however sell the rights to the characters, which would have enabled Warner Bros Studios to make non-author written sequels. The choice of directors however, was left to the studio and Warner Bros has excelled in choosing skilled men at the helm, including Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell and David Yates. Yates will direct again the final installment of the series Deathly Hollows, which will be filmed in two segments. It was an afternoon filled with magic in the summer of 1990. The train from Manchester to London was 4 hours late, and the young woman was finally relieved to feel the engine moving. She sat and stared out the window watching the lush green countryside pass by. Young Joanne Rowling's imaginative mind began to picture a young boy attending a school of wizardry. She still does not know where the idea came from, but by the time she had reached Clapham Junction, she had begun to write her story. A year later, the first book about the adventures of a young wizard boy named Harry Potter made her instantly famous. Seven books and six films later, the creator of the fantasy series, is estimated to have amassed a fortune of $750 million, making her the 12th richest woman in Britain. Little did she or anyone else know that the young woman living off welfare would pen a timeless literary achievement that comes around once in a lifetime. Forbes ranks her as the 48th most powerful celebrity, and Time magazine noted: "the social, moral and spiritual inspiration, she has given her fandom." As a child, Rowling enjoyed writing fantasy stories which she often read to her sister: "I can still remember me telling her a story in which she fell down a rabbit hole and was fed strawberries by the rabbit family inside it," she recalls. "Certainly the first story I ever wrote down (when I was 5 or 6), was about a rabbit called "Rabbit." He got the measles and was visited by his friends, including a giant bee called Mrs. Bee." A child's imagination, simple, effortless, priceless, backed by dedication and hard work, can develop a golden treasury for millions to enjoy. Children and magic go hand in hand. A child is a magical creation, and if we preserve the innocence of childhood, magic can surround us throughout our lives, and in the case of J. K. Rowling, spreading the magic can also be a fortune maker as it spreads happiness around the globe to children of all ages. There is magic awaiting Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Hogwarts, the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is increasingly vulnerable to the attack from the evil Lord Voldemort, and Hogwarts in no longer the safe haven it once was. Professor Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing young Harry for the final battle. He needs Harry to help him uncover a vital key to unlocking Voldemort's defenses. Love, the most potent magic rages across the ramparts, and a box of love potion -laced chocolates ends up in the wrong hands. This leads to a "Midsummer Night's Dream" melee, that will leave us all biting our nails. Tragedy also lurks its head and Hogwart will never be the same again. Apart from the familiar young witches and wizards, the cast includes such notable Brits as Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, and Helena Bonham. So what will one of the richest and most influential women in the world do next? Her masterful act of creating the Potter saga will be hard to follow. Rowling has stated that she plans to continue writing, perhaps under a pseudonym, but will the press not soon discover that! She has indeed finished a few short stories and another children's book, "a political fairy story' about a monster, aimed at a younger audience than Harry Potter readers." This is even better news, as there are far too few meaningful books out there for this age group except for the classics. The period of childhood is undoubtedly diminishing at an alarming rate and pop-teen culture is invading the realm of purity and innocence far too soon for our liking. A notable philanthropist, Rowling promises to "continue to write for children because that's what I enjoy." What she enjoys writing has proven to be what the world enjoys reading. The child is owned the greatest respect -- Juvenal (60-130 AD)
