Movie Magic: Cranberry Cinemas Prepares for Onslaught of Harry Potter Fans

There’s no business like show business – particularly when it comes to Harry Potter. That's something Jessica Levine knows for a fact.

The head manager of said tonight’s midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 -- the final film in the seven part series -- is sold out. And keep in mind that's with simultaneous showings of the movie in three separate screening rooms.

“It has the potential to be the biggest opening weekend of all time,” Levine said of the film’s national debut.

The last in line in one of the high-grossing film franchises ever, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 spent 10 years in the making. Since the 2001 debut of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – the first in the Potter movie series based on the books by J.K Rowling – the films have totaled more than $6 billion dollars in box office revenue.

According to database website Box Office Mojo, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 already has broken records with advance ticket sales of $32 million.

Likewise, tickets for Thursday's premiere at Cranberry Cinemas sold out early. Two of the three simultaneous midnight showings at the theater will be in 3-D, Levine said. The other will be in the standard 2-D.

The lobby opens its doors at 10:30 – Levine recommends getting there early -- and when it does, Harry Potter fans will be treated to an early preview of the wizarding world. The cinema’s staff has been hard at work since Wednesday evening to transform the lobby into a few of Harry’s favorite haunts.

Thanks to brick wallpaper found at – and some creativity by assistant manager Caroline Hudacsek – a hallway leading to the screening rooms will resemble King’s Cross Station, the place where students catch the magical Hogwarts Express to the witchcraft and wizarding school. Hudascsek even hand-painted signs directing moviegoers to Platform 9 ¾, the train pickup that’s invisible to Muggles -- that's regular humans for those of you not familiar with Potter terminology.

Making use of an old cardboard X-Men display, Hudacsek also crafted a giant cauldron and covered it with the Deathly Hallow symbols.

Tonight, she will fill the makeshift pot with “bubbles” (green balloons) and moviegoers will be able to win prizes, including a full-size Harry Potter poster, by guessing the number of balloons she used.

“I have 25 pounds of dry ice in my car right now,” she said in anticipation of creating the simmering cauldron.

There also will be a costume contest with more prizes. For those who weren’t able to score tickets to Thursday’s midnight showing, Levine said the décor would remain in place throughout the weekend.

“It’s going to be very fun and very festive,” she said.