That at Warner Bros. Discovery, after probably from the “Fantastic Beasts” series, the focus is now back on the magician himself and new “Harry Pottermovies or even series are conceivable have been rumored for some time – the statements of Warner boss David Zaslav suggest this. And now another major movie franchise is back in the hands of Warner Bros.: “Lord of the Rings“. The studio now wants to build on these two great fantasy foundations.
Following David Zaslav, Warner CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels also spoke about the future of fantasy brands – and indicates hope”Harry Potter8“. Because in the “Harry Potter” franchise you still see great potential: “The fact that we’re celebrating this huge success with the launch of ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ 12 years after the last film came out shows that there are so many possibilities lurking here.” The following postscript from Gunnar Wiedenfels in particular should make fans sit up and take note: “And we’re just starting to build that out.”
In addition to the “Hogwarts Legacy” game, they also have a new “Harry Potter” tour in the works, which will kick off in Tokyo mid-year. This also shows the importance of aligning the different aspects of a franchise within a company – it is “one of the greatest opportunities” a company can have. It is obvious that in addition to games and attractions, other “Harry Potter” films may also be part of the expansion of the brand – but in what form is the big question.
More “Harry Potter”: There are many options
That the sequel “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is being filmed as “Harry Potter 8” still seems to be one of the most attractive possibilities. Mathematically, that would even be “Harry Potter 9” because the two-part finale “The Deathly Hallows” means there are already eight “Harry Potter” movies. But here the question arises of whether JK Rowling wants to participate – after all, a theatrical release could reduce the success of the play. Another much more glaring possibility would be a remake of the “Harry Potter” series, as Warner could pull that off without Rowling’s intervention, but it would most likely endanger the relationship with the creator of “Harry Potter” destroy.
Fact is: the will to continue with the “Harry Potter” franchise has been repeatedly and clearly stated by several Warner executives – because after “Fantastic Beasts 3: Secrets of Dumbledore” underperformed in 2022, it seems to want to refocus on the core saga rather than side stories.
“The Lord of the Rings”: “We are making progress”
More concrete than “Harry Potter 8” are the new “Lord of the Rings” movies. Gunnar Wiedenfels also went into this loudly at an investor conference. David Zaslav made a promise about that very early on to revive this iconic, important brand – “and we’re starting to make progress,” says Wiedenfels. It’s exciting to see different people working on this project and creative minds taking the opportunity to work with Warner. “This will pay off over time.”
Next year we will even harvest the first “The Lord of the Rings” fruits. Long before the new live-action movies were announced, an animated movie was already in the works: The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of Rohirrim, starring Brian Cox, Gaia Wise and original star Miranda Otto (Eowyn), arrives April 11 2024 to the cinema.