The wand and glasses used by Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter films are expected to raise thousands at an upcoming charity auction. The highly successful film franchise first arrived in 2001, four years after author J.K. Rowling released her debut novel in the seven book series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Both the book series and the film franchise have taken on lives of their own, with everything from theme park attractions to video games and stage productions having eventually followed in their lucrative wake.
When it comes to the film franchise, however, Radcliffe has become synonymous with the Harry Potter character. Even today, a decade after the final film in the series arrived, the 31-year-old actor embodies the sort of down to earth genuineness that made Potter so endearing to so many. There has been talk in recent years of potentially rebooting the entire franchise, and while that doesn’t sit well with all Potter fans, Radcliffe has previously acknowledged the very strong possibility that the films will ultimately be remade and that he’s content to watch it all happen. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that whoever does play Potter (if and when the series is rebooted), Radcliffe’s legacy as The Boy Who Lived isn’t going to be easy to follow. It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Radcliffe as the character and that in itself is a tremendous testament to exactly how good of a job he did.
If ever there was further proof needed of just how beloved Radcliffe’s portrayal of Potter was, an upcoming charity auction is set to do just that. According to The Irish News, both the wand and glasses worn by Radcliffe in the films will be going to auction at The Prop Store in Los Angeles at the end of this month. The props are expected to bring in somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000 - $10,000, with proceeds going to Rowling’s Lumos charity. Lumos was created by Rowling in 2005 and aims to end the institutionalization of children worldwide. Also on the auction block is an edition of the Daily Prophet and Ron Weasley’s howler letter, which was featured in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
For Potterheads everywhere, Harry’s glasses and wand represent a huge portion of who the character is. And as is later revealed in the series, Harry’s wand made him even more connected to Lord Voldemort. As for the glasses, however, they’re one of the first things about Harry that readers came to know. Taped together due to Harry’s ignorant cousin Dudley constantly hitting him and breaking them, the glasses symbolized Harry’s resilience and ultimately his disdain for bullies. It could even be argued that without his glasses, Harry wouldn’t have been as instantly sympathetic of a character as he is.
Unfortunately, the predicted cost of the wand and glasses at the upcoming auction puts the memorabilia out of range for most Harry Potter fans. What’s more, Rowling’s reputation has taken a major hit in recent years as a result of her attitude towards transgender people. This has caused some fans to bid farewell to the Potterverse while questioning why Rowling’s charitable nature isn’t extended to the trans community. Nonetheless, the Prop Store auction will result in something beneficial and the lucky bidder who comes away with the wand and glasses can rest easy knowing they’ve acquired a piece of cinematic history.
Source: The Irish News