Wizard vs. wizard. Hobbit vs. Muggle. Gollum vs. Dobby.
A trip to the movies will be a flight of fancy this holiday season, and the town is certainly big enough for two big-budget fantasy sequels.
But unlike last year, when “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” outgrossed “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” this time the “Rings” follow-up is expected to pull ahead at the box office.
Why?
The answer may be simply that Potter-mania has waned slightly – J.K. Rowling hasn’t released a novel in two years – while J.R.R. Tolkien’s fan base only keeps growing.
More significant is the visionary way cult director Peter Jackson approached “The Fellowship of the Ring” – which garnered 13 Oscar nominations and much critical praise – built anticipation for a sequel, whereas journeyman director Chris Columbus turned in a slavishly faithful adaptation of the first Potter novel.
One was a gamble that paid off; the other, a safe bet that offered few thrills.
For “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” out Nov. 15, Columbus has again played it by the book – and he’s making no apologies.
“I know certain people complained we were too faithful [with the first film], but I have to believe that had we really strayed from the material, the film would have been a disaster, the fans would have been in an uproar – and I’d have been drawn and quartered,” he told The Post.
That said, Columbus promises more “rip-roaring” action this time around – including a rousing flight to Hogwarts in the Weasley family’s Ford, as well as a new character in the form of Dobby, the house elf (see sidebar).
The sequel – in which Harry returns to Hogwarts to find someone’s literally petrifying the students – will also have a darker tone.
The battle against evil looks to be equally sinister in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” out Dec. 18.
The second “Rings” installment will follow Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor while Aragon, the human played by Viggo Mortensen, tries to unite disparate tribes of men.
There will be at least three new fearsome creatures introduced, and fans will see a lot more of the slithery little hobbit-gone-bad, Gollum.
Whichever franchise ends up grabbing the box-office brass ring this season, it’s a win-win for AOL Time Warner: Both films are part of the same corporate family.