The
Harry
Potter
juggernaut
is
starting
to
wind
down.
In
2011,
Harry
Potter,
the
series,
will
end
with
its
eighth
installment,
Harry
Potter
and
the
Deathly
Hallows:
Part
II.
As
the
franchise
moves
closer
to
its
finish
line,
Hollywood
executives
are
scrambling
to
find
the
Next
Big
Thing-
a
multiple
movie
property
that
appeals
to
youngsters,
has
an
epic
sweep
and
fantastic
landscapes
that
suit
modern
CGI
filmmaking.
The
studios
want
to
be
ready
when
a
gaping
hole
opens
in
the
family
movie
market.
It
also
needs
to
lend
itself
to
those
all-important
licensing
deals.
Perhaps
the
answer
to
this
is
Rick
Riordan's
Percy
Jackson
and
the
Olympians.
Releasing
in
the
US
and
the
UK
on
Feb
12th
and
in
India
on
Feb
19th,
'Percy
Jackson
and
The
Lighting
Thief" is
the
first
of
the
5
books
penned
by
the
talented
author
that
is
expected
to
take
over
the
Harry
Potter
mania
across
the
globe.
The
Percy
Jackson
series
is
a
contemporary
fantasy
adventure
that
centers
on
Percy
Jackson;
a
modern
day
teenager
who
discovers
that
he
is
a
demi-god
and
with
his
friends,
embarks
on
a
journey
to
save
the
world
from
destruction
by
the
battling
Greek
gods.
The
series
has
spent
more
125
weeks
on
the
New
York
Times
bestseller
list
and
has
already
sold
more
than
50000
copies
in
India.
The
Lightning
Thief
has
been
a
bestseller
for
weeks
in
leading
Indian
stores
too.
Licensed
in
over
30
languages,
The
Lightning
Thief
awards
include
'2005
New
York
Times
Notable
Book"
and
2006
ALA
Notable
Children"s
Book
(presented
by
the
Association
for
Library
Service
to
Children
as
a
book
that
reflects
and
encourages
children's
interests
in
exemplary
ways).
Percy
Jackson
and
The
Lightning
Thief
has
been
directed
by
Chris
Columbus,
Director
of
Harry
Potter
I
and
II
and
Mrs.
Doubtfire.
Chris
is
also
the
writer
of
Home
Alone
I
and
II.