Business & Tech
In Photos: Harry Potter Fans File In for the Final Installment
Midnight showings start an end of an era.
After 10 years and seven films, hundreds of devout Harry Potter fans hit Union Landing to celebrate the end of an era.
By 6:30 p.m. Thursday, more than 200 attendees had gathered at Union City’s to commemorate the conclusion of the epic Harry Potter film series with its eigth and final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The theater offered 23 different midnight showtimes, including a marathon, according to its website.
“It’s now or never,” said 21-year-old Danielle Sigua of Berkeley, sporting a custom-made "I [heart] HP" t-shirt. She lined up with a group of friends at 12:30 p.m., 12 hours before the film's 12:02 a.m. premiere. "It’s worth [being in line early] because it’s the last one,” she said.
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Still, Sigua was far from the front.
At the head of the line were some of the most dedicated fans: Andrea Trisler, 21, and Ian Whiles, 22, both of Fremont, and Newark resident Laura Fox, 25.
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The crew began camping out in line at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night — almost 25 hours before — for their late Thursday night/early Friday morning 12:02 a.m. showing — to ensure they had the best seats.
Fox, , said that she's been waiting for this moment for 10 years. She even took two days off work to be there, she said.
As the line snaked in both directions, and across the street, from the theater's main entrance, employees equipped with megaphones regulated the lines.
“Twilight fans are crazier,” said 19-year-old Century Theaters employee Forbes Zamora, comparing the fans of the Harry Potter and Twilight brands. “They’re different kinds of people.”
Throughout the lines Thursday evening, fans celebrated and rejoiced in the final moment together.
Whether it was fans skimming over the novel before seeing the pages come to life, sporting their custom-made shirts and proudly proclaiming to be “Potter heads for life,” or just simply excited that July 15 finally came around, everyone was there simply to enjoy the final film of this pop culture juggernaut.
Meet the fans by clicking on the photo gallery above.
