Taxes and propaganda thwart hopes of would-be Potter audiences in some countries1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteViewers around the world have flocked to theaters to watch the final movie of the Harry Potter epic, which raked in a record-breaking 476 million dollars on its opening weekend.
But for some fans of the boy wizard, the end hasn’t come quite yet. Realities of the muggle world — ranging from taxes to politics — have prevented Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 from reaching a large segment of the world’s population.
For starters, don’t even think about trying to see it in Saudi Arabia where the entire Harry Potter series is banned by authorities concerned that the story will promote witchcraft.
The film’s opening in both Jordan and Indonesia has been delayed by tax disputes between the respective governments and international movie distributors. In Indonesia, the royalty issue developed when the government proposed movie importers be taxed on a film’s expected revenue rather than its length, as is currently done.
