Potter film still hot ticket

Michael Daugherty plans to spend tonight as a nasty, vengeful and obnoxious young wizard.

The 19-year-old Lookout Mountain resident will indulge in a little despicable role playing by dressing as Draco Malfoy, the teenage nemesis of young wizard Harry Potter. Mr. Daugherty will be sporting the look at midnight in honor of the first showing of the new movie, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince."

"I'm going at midnight because I want to see it as soon as I possibly can," he said. "I am excited about being there with the most dedicated fans because of the excitement and enthusiasm everyone will have."

And he'll be accompanied by a large group of his friends, who will also be dressing up for the occasion, including fans dressed as female wizard Hermione Granger.

The midnight showing will be a first for Mia Dilworth, a 16-year-old Chattanooga resident who plans to wear an old cloak, a pair of glasses and a lightning bolt scar drawn on her forehead to look like Harry Potter.

"This is going to be my first midnight premiere, so this is a big deal for me. I think the atmosphere at night will be totally different," she said. "I've been waiting a really long time for this movie to come out. The sixth book is my favorite book. I can't wait to see the movie."

Across the city, thousands of Chattanoogans already have purchased tickets to the midnight debut of the sixth film in the Harry Potter series, according to local theater owners. Some anxious fans, dressed as their favorite characters, are expected to arrive as early as 8 p.m., said Greg Delich, general manager of the Rave theaters in East Ridge.

"It has such a huge following," said Dale Hurst, director of marketing for Carmike Cinemas. "It's a pretty major phenomenon."

To accommodate the crowds, the Rave, the Bijou and Northgate 14 plan on opening as many screens as necessary to accommodate the crowds.

"With 18 screens, I don't see us really selling out, but we will definitely open as many as we need," said Mr. Delich, who anticipates about 2,000 people showing up.

Timothy Schendel, the complex manager of the Bijou 7 downtown, said he has hired extra help for the next few nights.

"It's rare to get such a crowd on a Tuesday or Wednesday night," he said. "In Chattanooga, it seems that a Harry Potter release is more than just a movie debut. It's an event."

For Potter fans, who cannot wait until midnight for a dose of Potter, the Northgate 14 in Hixson and the Carmike 12 at Walnut Square Mall in Dalton, Ga., are offering a special, all-day event.

Starting at 9 a.m., both theaters will host a Harry Potter marathon. For $15, fans can watch all five of the previous Harry Potter films, leading up to the midnight debut of "Half Blood Prince."

"There isn't anything like experiencing Harry Potter at the movie theater," said Mr. Hurst, "so we thought it would be a great idea to give fans the chance to get together and experience it all in one day."

Mr. Daugherty will definitely be in attendance. "I was going to watch them all at home anyway," he said.

While ticket sales in Chattanooga continue to grow, anticipation across the nation also increases.

So far, Harry Potter tickets have constituted 96 percent of ticket sales on the Fandango Web site and have sold out 1,000 show times across the country, according to a Fandango news release.

"Many of the book readers create the excitement for the movie," Mr. Hurst said. "Each movie shows a different part of the story; it is not like an ordinary sequel."

For Mr. Daugherty, Hollywood's choice to stay true to the novels by J.K. Rowling is important.

"I'm nervous about the differences between the movie and the book," he said. "I just hope it stays true to the book."