Sixty Scholars Debate Inclusion of Harry Potter as Literary Texts
A team of sixty academics from across the globe including the US, India and South Africa converged at the St Andrews University in Scotland to discuss the inclusion of the famous Harry Potter series as literary texts. REUTERS

Makers of the "Harry Potter" franchise have launched a campaign in an attempt to break the decade-long spell that prevented them from bagging the prestigious Academy Awards.

For 10 years, eight "Harry Potter" films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint received only grudging respect and were snubbed at the Oscars.

Although the series was the top-grossing franchise in movie history and received much critical acclaim, it was unable to make it to the Oscars. The series was nominated only in the below-the-line categories. In the past, the series got nine nominations in best art direction, best score and best cinematography categories but failed to win any awards.

Warner Bros is now lobbying Academy voters to nominate the latest series in the "big five" categories including best director for David Yates and best picture.

They are also seeking for Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson to be nominated in the best actor and best actress categories.

It was reported that the most likely chance of getting an award would be for Alan Rickman's performance as Prof. Severus Snape in the best supporting actor category.

According to the Daily Mail, the films, perhaps overlooked because of their appeal for children, were nominated for nine Oscars without winning any.

However, with a similar film such as the "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," having made it to the Oscars, there's hope yet.