Britain's Emma Watson poses with Daniel Radcliffe (L) and Rupert Grint as they arrive for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" at Leicester Square in London November 11, 2010.[Photo/Agencies]

BILLION DOLLAR TARGET

Robert Conner, a dead ringer for actor Grint who plays Ron in the series, was near the front of the queue of fans, having pitched his tent on Tuesday evening.

"I'm a big fan," he said. "I've actually got a Harry Potter tattoo, which I've shown to quite a few members of the cast. I just love Harry Potter. I love the books, I love the films, love the cast."

Paul Taylor, 46, travelled from Sheffield, England, in the early hours of the morning to book his spot.

His outfit, which he said cost 1,000 pounds ($1,600) to make, consisted of a wizard's hat, a cloak with Potter insignia, gold-colored buttons and a teddy bear in identical kit.

He said he has been a Potter fan since being introduced to the books, which have sold more than 400 million copies, by his niece eight years ago. "It's such a great atmosphere," he said. "It makes it all worth it.

The hugely popular franchise has yet to break the billion-dollar barrier with a single title, and a 3-D release would have made that landmark a near certainty, experts said. Warner failed to have the 3-D version ready in time.

"I think the 3-D issue must be a big disappointment for Warner Bros." said Andreas Wiseman of Screen International.

"I think they've really missed a trick. Other big franchises like 'Saw', 'Shrek' and 'Toy Story' have gone from strength to strength (by turning to 3-D)."

He added that Deathly Hallows Part 1 may gross $1 billion in global ticket sales even without higher prices commanded by a third dimension, and that the franchise has another chance to cash in on 3-D with Deathly Hallows Part 2 out next July.