"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" has gone where no movie has ever gone before, setting box-office records both in the United States and around the world.
But can it go where no Potter film has gone before at the Oscars?
That's a germane question in light of the remarkable debut of the final "Harry Potter" film, which made $169 million in North America and more than $300 million worldwide in its first three days.
It has also enjoyed almost near-unanimous raves, currently standing at 97 percent positive at Rotten Tomatoes -- by far the best showing of any 2011 wide release.
Also read: 'Harry Potter' By the Numbers: Audience Grew Older, Series Grew Richer
Normally, you'd think a movie that had made that much money and been that well-received would be a clear contender for a Best Picture nomination, particularly now that the field has been opened up to more than five films.
After all, Potter is the top-grossing series of all time, eclipsing the 23 James Bond and six "Star Wars" films. It's also considered an exemplary case of major-studio filmmaking – just the kind of thing that the Best Picture category was expanded to include.
And with the release of "Deathly Hallows, Part 2," the film has made the leap from being a hugely popular franchise to an inescapable pop-culture phenomenon, with surprisingly few naysaysers chiming in.
But when I surveyed a group of Academy members about whether the film had a shot at being the first Potter movie to receive a Best Picture nomination, the first response I got back was a succinct, "Guess not really. It's still a silly movie."
And that's the true obstacle "Harry Potter" needs to overcome: the feeling on the part of the Academy that the saga is a children's story, and that fantasy films in general are not as awards-worthy as adult dramas.
Then again, another member was equally terse when asked if a fantasy film could land a Best-Pic nod: "I do. 'Return of the King.'"
Despite the Academy's historical bias against fantasy films, the final installment in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" saga, 2003's "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," was nominated for 11 Oscars and won all 11, including Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay.
On the other hand, that historic sweep came after the first two movies in the "LOTR" series had already received 19 total nominations, including two Best Picture nods, and won six Oscars.
Harry's saga, as well-liked and profitable as it has been, has no such track record: no Potter movie has ever been nominated for Best Picture; in fact, no Potter film has ever won an Oscar of any kind.
The first film in the series, 2001's "
