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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wild About Harry: The Book, The Business

Aired June 19, 2003 - 06:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now a look at one of the most top secret operations taking place anywhere in the world, and I mean anywhere in the world. This has nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction; it's about a book of mass popularity.
Our Diana Muriel has the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coming to a bookshop near you this weekend, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." It's the fifth in the series of Harry Potter books, a tale of a child wizard and his friends fighting the forces of evil at his boarding school.

Whatever its literary merit, the fact is this is a product which sells.

DAVID MEEKINGS, HAMLEYS: We're expecting that we'll see a big uplift this weekend with the release of the new book. We've been very happy with the sales of Harry Potter ever since we put the department in about 18 months ago. So a very good brand for us.

MURIEL: The stories have sparked a wave of commercial merchandise, from pencil cases to chess sets to dolls. Two of the books have been turned into movies; a third one is in the process of being filmed. Even grownups are getting in on the act. Publishers Bloomsbury have issued special editions with adult covers and Harry Potter business briefcases can be bought online. All of this adds up to big bucks. In a recent survey, author J.K. Rowling's fortune was estimated at $450 million, making her richer than the British Queen.

Harry Potter is such a money-spinner, it's attracting interest from the criminal world. A consignment of the new Harry Potter books, worth over $235,000, was stolen from a trailer in the north of England Tuesday. Bloomsbury has threatened legal action against anyone caught with the books.

(on camera): Bloomsbury, headquartered here in London's Soho, declined to give CNN an interview on its publishing strategy. The secrecy extends to the Harry Potter plots. J.K. Rowling recently admitted in an interview that even her husband doesn't know which one of the main characters she has killed off in the latest book. All part of the marketing hype. Rowling insists it's simply her desire not to disappoint her readers.

(voice-over): But despite its popularity, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be sold at a discount, in Britain at least.

RICHARD LEWIS, THE BOOKSELLER: The retailers are then trying to gain market share by offering good value on their books. And they want people to receive a brand message about their shop, too, Waterstones or Smiths or Oscars is a good place to go and buy books because we offer a good price on Harry Potter. It's a good opportunity for them to bring people in.

MURIEL: The last Harry Potter offering became the fastest selling book in history on the weekend of its release in July 2000. Publishers and retailers alike are hoping the Harry Potter spell will be even stronger this time around.

Diana Muriel, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 19, 2003 - 06:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now a look at one of the most top secret operations taking place anywhere in the world, and I mean anywhere in the world. This has nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction; it's about a book of mass popularity.
Our Diana Muriel has the details for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Coming to a bookshop near you this weekend, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." It's the fifth in the series of Harry Potter books, a tale of a child wizard and his friends fighting the forces of evil at his boarding school.

Whatever its literary merit, the fact is this is a product which sells.

DAVID MEEKINGS, HAMLEYS: We're expecting that we'll see a big uplift this weekend with the release of the new book. We've been very happy with the sales of Harry Potter ever since we put the department in about 18 months ago. So a very good brand for us.

MURIEL: The stories have sparked a wave of commercial merchandise, from pencil cases to chess sets to dolls. Two of the books have been turned into movies; a third one is in the process of being filmed. Even grownups are getting in on the act. Publishers Bloomsbury have issued special editions with adult covers and Harry Potter business briefcases can be bought online. All of this adds up to big bucks. In a recent survey, author J.K. Rowling's fortune was estimated at $450 million, making her richer than the British Queen.

Harry Potter is such a money-spinner, it's attracting interest from the criminal world. A consignment of the new Harry Potter books, worth over $235,000, was stolen from a trailer in the north of England Tuesday. Bloomsbury has threatened legal action against anyone caught with the books.

(on camera): Bloomsbury, headquartered here in London's Soho, declined to give CNN an interview on its publishing strategy. The secrecy extends to the Harry Potter plots. J.K. Rowling recently admitted in an interview that even her husband doesn't know which one of the main characters she has killed off in the latest book. All part of the marketing hype. Rowling insists it's simply her desire not to disappoint her readers.

(voice-over): But despite its popularity, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be sold at a discount, in Britain at least.

RICHARD LEWIS, THE BOOKSELLER: The retailers are then trying to gain market share by offering good value on their books. And they want people to receive a brand message about their shop, too, Waterstones or Smiths or Oscars is a good place to go and buy books because we offer a good price on Harry Potter. It's a good opportunity for them to bring people in.

MURIEL: The last Harry Potter offering became the fastest selling book in history on the weekend of its release in July 2000. Publishers and retailers alike are hoping the Harry Potter spell will be even stronger this time around.

Diana Muriel, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com