'Deathly Hallows, Part 2,' with six nominations, is up against 'Twilight' and 'Hunger Games' for Movie of the Year. By Josh Wigler
Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2" Photo: Warner Bros.
"The Boy Who Lived, come to thrive?" That could well be the case at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards.
Just as Harry Potter bravely walked through the Forbidden Forest to meet his maker at Voldemort's hands, so too does Team Potter approach its final chance at Golden Popcorn glory come the June 3 broadcast. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2," the eighth and last film in the Warner Bros. fantasy series, has scored six nominations, including nods for Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, a Best Kiss nomination for Watson and Rupert Grint, and a coveted shot at Movie of the Year.
Will this be the year "Potter" finally brings that top award home? With a big target out of the way, it just might be.
For years at the Movie Awards, magic has succumbed to bloodsucking in the battle between "Potter" and "Twilight." But with "Breaking Dawn - Part 1" netting only two nominations this year — one for Movie of the Year, another for Best Kiss — the path is considerably clearer for the boy wizard and his companions to make a run at the six awards for which it's nominated. With a reduced "Twilight" presence at this year's show, perhaps the odds are in Harry's favor, to borrow a phrase from another fan-backed franchise.
Then again, besting that franchise — "The Hunger Games," if you're one of two people who didn't catch the reference — could prove trickier than destroying one of He Who Must Not Be Named's Horcruxes for "Potter" fans. Breaking past $600 million at the global box office, "Hunger Games" brings both commercial and critical firepower to this particular race, leading the Movie Awards nominations with eight.
The Jennifer Lawrence-led film managed second place during the MTV Movie Brawl 2012, scoring 1.7 million votes. "Potter" wasn't eligible for that competition, of course, but it's no slouch in the tournament department: Last year, netted more than 7 million votes all told.
Clearly, there are a lot of fans of both franchises, and there's a strong case to be made for both series. For "Potter," it's the end of an era, the last hoorah in one of the most celebrated fantasy stories of all time. For "Hunger Games," it's the beginning of something fantastic and new, an occasion worth honoring.
Will the passion behind the "Potter" finale surpass the passion behind the "Hunger Games" debut, or vice versa? Will the two cancel each other out, leaving the way for a surprise first-place finish from the twice-nominated "Breaking Dawn," the comedy smash "Bridesmaids" or the Oscar-nominated "The Help"?
Whether or not "Potter" trumps "Hunger Games," "Twilight" or any one of its other many rivals is a matter that won't be resolved today. For now, here's what we do know: This is the last opportunity for "Potter" fans to make magic happen at the MTV Movie Awards. If ever there was a time to cast "Accio Golden Popcorn!" that time is certainly now.
Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m. ET.
How will "Harry Potter" fare at the MTV Movie Awards? Share your predictions below!
