Harry Potter Reels Them in at Bayfair

The final film installment of the Harry Potter saga drew more than 1,800 people to the Century 16 theater at Bayfair Center on opening night, theater officials said early this morning.

The first of the 1,836 people who bought tickets for midnight showings of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 began lining up before 5 p.m. Thursday, said Armando Gutierrez, who was on overnight duty at Century 16 Bayfair at Bayfair Center in San Leandro.

He said many fans showed up in costume and the crowd was well-behaved, with lots of enthusiastic clapping but no unpleasant incidents.

The seven shows originally scheduled by the theater sold out and three additional screenings that were added at the last minute were almost full, he said.

The theater showed Part II in both 2D and 3D. One showing was a double bill with Deathly Hallows: Part I, which began at 9 p.m. Thursday. Ticket prices ranged from $7.50 to $15.