Sure, Harry Potter grips millions with wizard frenzy.

But “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, arguably a king of the fantasy genre, will soon leap from book to the big screen too.

History senior Andy Miller has read the series several times and considers himself a fan.

“Fantasy writers are always trying to create their own worlds, but none are as original as Middle-Earth,” he said.

Middle-Earth is the fantasy realm in which the tales are based. It’s richly populated by orcs, balrogs and ents, wizard, goblins and dragons, among other mystical creatures and human characters

“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, by the late J.R.R. Tolkien, includes “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King. The movie follows meaty sales of the fantasy triplet that have topped 100 million since its original publication in 1954-55.

The first movie version of the series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” is due out Dec. 19. The next two films will most likely appear during the 2002 and 2003 holiday seasons.

Miller, like many die-hard “Rings” fans, worries Hollywood could butcher the trilogy. But his hopes remain high.

“I can’t wait until the movie comes out, but I hope they don’t make it too sappy or romantic,” he said.

He had a hunch that “Ringers” will express their love along the same lines of Trekkie-dom when the movie premieres.

“I think people are going to be dressed up, just like ‘Star Wars’,” he said.

Director Peter Jackson (“Heavenly Creatures,” “The Frighteners”) and cast labored for more than a year in New Zealand shooting three movies for New Line Cinema.

Among the leads are Elijah Wood, who will play the Hobbit, Frodo Baggins; Cate Blanchett as the Elven Queen, Galadriel; and Ian McKellen as the wizard, Gandalf.

English professor Bill Vincent is a fan of the series who has read it twice. The first time in the 1960s, and the second aloud to his son, then 7 years old.

“I like it a lot,” he said “It’s such a work of great imagination, it makes the others look inadequate really,” Vincent said.

Recently Vincent took a poll in one of his classes and asked who planned to see “The Fellowship of the Ring,” who planned to see “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and who planned to see neither.

“‘Lord of the Rings’ was the more popular,” he said. “‘Harry Potter’ and neither were tied.”

Vincent said he looks forward to reading the “Rings” series in the future.

“I’m just looking forward to having grandchildren, so I can read it again,” he said.