Other than that they all come from London I am curious at this comparison. As loved as the movie and book of Matilda are, and the film of Billy Elliott, Harry Potter is in a different universe in terms of popularity and fandom. Harry Potter has the books, the movies, the theme parks, the merch. A glance at box office mojo will show you how high these grosses fall in the all time history of films. I am not sure where, or how to look for book unit sales but we know it's one of the best sellers of all time. I would boldly say it is a matter of fact and not opinion that the popularity of the Harry Potter brand far exceeds that of your two examples.
All that said, taking comparisons of other specific shows out of the mix and going more general, we have certainly seen that shows that are huge hits in London do not always translate to the same success in New York. I suppose this is possible. But Harry Potter is already such an international brand, I think it will be really big here. |
