Final Installment Of Harry Potter Films Draws Huge Crowds, Devoted Fans

It seems only appropriate that under the magic of a full moon a decade-long film franchise comes to a bitter sweet close.

For most fans, watching the midnight premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” marks the end of an era.

“It’s kind of cool because we watched them grow up as we grew up,” said teenage Potter fan Sarah Montelongo. “The older I got, the more I could relate to them. It’s not about the wizard problems, it’s about the problems we all faced growing up.”

Montelongo is just one of thousands of El Pasoans who attended the film’s premiere Thursday night.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” West Side Cinemark general manager Raymond Hernandez said. “I’ve worked every Harry Potter premiere and this is by far the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen.”

Three hours before the first screening, the lines were long — unbelievably long.

They not only extended outside the theater, but around the sides and all the way to the back of the building as well.

It all spells big business for the theater

“This is the biggest opening we’ve ever had. Even bigger than ‘Transformers’,” said Hernandez.

All 14 screens of the theater showed the premiere, most of which sold out more than a week ago. According to Hernandez, the theater even added a 3 a.m. showtime for those who missed out on the first screening.

But as every Potter fan knows, it’s not just about being the first to see the movie.

“I was only eight when I saw the first film,” Joanne Carey said. “I didn’t really know what it was about when I saw the first one, but I absolutely fell in love with it.”

Some fans said they arrived up to five hours before the show even started.

“It was definitely worth it.” a smiling Samantha Herrera said.