October 25th, 2011
06:33 PM ET
'Harry Potter' movies to vanish from storesIf you're a fan of "Harry Potter" you better get physical copies of the films while they're hot - according to Entertainment Weekly, Warner Bros. will soon pull the franchise from store shelves. Following the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" on November 11, the studio will give you a few weeks to snag any remaining theatrical "Potter" releases you don't have before they cease sending copies to stores. The franchise, which began with 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," has generated $5.1 billion in home entertainment and interactives sales, according to EW. The magical date when "Potter" films will begin to disappear is December 29, although digital copies (those sold electronically, and video on demand) and games won't be affected. A rep for Warner Bros. did not return a request for comment. |
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This is a typical ploy by Disney. They do it with most of the kids movie's and then re-release them at intervals to spark interest.
Thank god for them internetz.
That isn't going to work. Too many of us have already ripped the physical media and freely pirate it.
You can easily buy these DVDs new and used on Ebay and Amazon. Access to them will never be difficult.
Because it will be so very difficult to find it otherwise. Wake up Disney. Pulling from the shelf doesn't actually impact supply.
How much extra money could a dick move like this actually make them....Sigh.... Oh shucks... I can't stay mad at you harry potter...
Just. Wow. Jerks. I own some of the movies on bluray but not all. I frankly won't have the money to get the rest this year. I'm not going to be forced to buy a box set, and I don't usually illegally download movies, but I agree with folks here that torrents are the answer. Why pay for an online copy that will have messy restrictions on it when you can get a better product free?
The only reason they are doing this is to release the box sets later. Its a simple marketing ploy to force everyone into a $200.00 Box Set with some other goodies to get everyone drooling.
Bad move, everyone is going to forget about poor Harry. Or pirate poor Harry.
I really think this is a great way to encourage people to steal content over the Internet.
Yeah, learned that lesson when Disney began pulling this stunt years ago. Time to rent – rip – and put into MY vault alongside the Disney franchise.
No problem... they will all be available at your local torrent site.
If WB hires one more moron MBA, I swear they will even pass Microsoft in goobs.
Aren't we tired of these McRib stunts yet?
Not that I care since I wasn't a fan of the franchise to begin with, but I don't get what the purpose is to stop producing the physical copies of the films to be sold in stores. Are they hoping to start a trend?
Harry Potter should stay on shelves. Yes they will make more money EVENTUALLY! and u can get the movie for free EVENTUALLY! But I don't know about you guys I prefer to watch movies freely and that means with a DVD.But I won't have money to buy the last 2 DVD's before then. I think what they are doing it flat out wrong.
For all you Harry Potter fans out there who are sad to see it come to an end, here's a consolation prize called London's Secret by Ella Roberts. Read or watch the story unfold at: LondonsSecret.blogspot.com
I was waiting to buy a killer box set but with this news I have downloaded the first 3 movies and will download the rest this afternoon. Then I will make my own box set.
Corporate greed doesn't work with me. I will continue to support companies that don't try to screw over customers.
Yes, because THEFT is so much better! Idiot.
I thought this was about Harry Potter...not about salty nuts, poop, amuses, fecal flavored jelly beans, or sodomy...anyway this idea of keeping the movies in the vault, as Disney calls it, is stupid.
i watch harry potter with my homegirls if u dont like im i have to words for u KICK ROCKS!!!!!
I watch harry potter with my HOMEBOYS
Oh the hypocrisy!! If you whiners were in their shoes, you would to the same thing. Your sandbox is waiting!
Who really gives a damn?
Since you read the article and commented, I assume you do.
Money grab!!!!!
They always say the same thing, HP films will be in store shelves for the next 10 years. This is not more then a maketing strategy.
They're doing it so that you can only buy the box sets from now on.
Don't worry. Once they disappear from store shelves, they will be even easier to find online for free. And the studios' artificial scarcity will go over like a lead balloon.
The boxed set and the 18 different collector's editions and the director's cut will be out Xmas 2012! The corporations got fans of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings the same way. And it worked !!!
What the hell. I won't be able to get enough money to buy them all by then. Why the hell do the have to copy Disney.
my thoughts exactly...
my name is also dan and you said exactly what i was going to say totally blew my mind lol
Actually we are both you as well hes from your future but my past........We are about 18 hours apart btw.
PS you left the stove on.
I really hate stunts like this. It´s so stupid. Take it away and build hype and then in a few years bring it back and make millions. The sad part is, it'll probably work.
No, it'll just cause piracy on a scale they've never seen before.
It will do both.
My guess is that they will re-release the movies in 7 or 8 years when a new generation is ready to watch the films. It's similar to what Disney does with it's cartoons. I think it's a good idea.
One word now and 7 years from now: eBay. Not as if these are great movies; entertaining for the kiddies, but they ought be reading the books.
@tensor. Awesome idea. I'll get the dvds, never unwrap them and sell them next year on eBay. niiice...
That's "its cartoons"
This is stupidity at it's finest. Have they not heard of the internet? Trying to drive up demand by ceasing production of physical DVD's is a joke in the internet age. They've learned nothing from piracy.