Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix--What Does the latest book do for this movie's success?

The fifth Harry Potter movie has been out for a while, but what happens in the seventh book will seriously impact the success of this movie, not to mention the entire Harry Potter franchise.

Now, if you've read the seventh book, you are sitting back smugly in your comfy chair (we can see you!), and you know whether this whole Harry Potter merchandising bonanza will continue. Really, there's only one question to be answered which decides the whole thing: does Harry die in the seventh book?

If Harry dies, it could be argued that any future movies are not only iffy to begin with, but in serious danger of "coming straight to DVD" fare. Fans interest in the franchise will die out just as surely as their hero did.

If Harry survives, the movies can only continue to enjoy their success at the box office, fueled by the books' current fans and future readers.

It doesn't take a marketing genius to know that it's best for Harry to survive in that last book, does it?

So, what's happened to the movie now that the seventh book is out? It came out strong, with over 32.2 million dollars, a real blockbuster in the box office. So, with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the shelves, Is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix holding its own?

Surprisingly, it's now losing ground to "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry."

I say surprisingly because anyone who has watched any review of the movie on any morning or late-night interview show already knows "Chuck and Larry" SUCKS. It's a shame, because Adam Sandler and Kevin James are likable, but even they couldn't save this homophobic train wreck from crashing and burning.

And yet, it beat out Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a movie with a great storyline, fantastic special effects and the adoration of millions of fans around the world. Granted, the movie has been out for a few weeks now, and the popularity was bound to wane.

And it could be that the Harry Potter fans are so busy reading out there that they simply don't have time for the movie. Or maybe J.K. Rowlings decided to buck the whole marketing industry and kill Harry Potter off after all.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

We've read the book. We KNOW what happens. Do you?

Oh, yeah, and the games are out for the fifth movie, too.