This story appears in the
February 2000 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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In the works: The bestselling Harry Potter children's
book series has all of Hollywood under its spell, with plans to
make a resounding impact on the silver screen. Look for this
proposed $1 billion franchise to create licensing and merchandising
opportunities galore. . . . Pinball to
pasture: A sudden tilt to the gaming industry has pulled the
plug on those bell-ringing, ramped, monstrous mechanisms known as
pinball machines. WMS Industries Inc., the largest manufacturer of
such amusements, has terminated its line, driving the prices of
antiques even higher. . . . Cocktail
revival: The concept of fusing Asian and Latin culinary
elements has trickled down into the champagne flutes and martini
glasses of the resurgent cocktail culture. A new spectrum of tasty
concoctions mix obscure liquors, and even some ethnic herbs and
roots, to create variants of the kamikaze, martini and
cosmopolitan. . . . Start your engines: The
buzz generated by those streaming stock car racers has increased
momentum with Saban Entertainment's NASCAR Racers, a
two-dimensional computer-animated series on Fox Kids Network
targeting 6- to 11-year-olds. Viewers are now sporting the NASCAR
look as well, taking to `pit-crew
chic'. . . .FYI: We've read
it everywhere: More than half the U.S. adult population is
overweight, high-calorie and fat consumption is at an all-time
high, and 40 percent of the American population does not exercise.
So if you can think of a way to whip Americans into shape, be sure
to let us know.