More than twenty years after the premiere of the first film, the future of the series is still a subject of heated debate. Although Harry Potter is still very popular, the further development of the universe raises many reservations.
Harry Potter has undoubtedly become one of the most recognizable franchises around the world. Wizarding World is not only JK Rowling’s books about the adventures of a young wizard with a lightning-shaped scar. Over the past twenty years, movies, games, sequels and spin-offs have joined the magical universe, and according to the latest news, we can also expect new projects.
Recently, the CEO of Warner Bros. himself spoke on this topic. Discovery, David Zaslav. Variety reveals that the conversation about the corporate plans emphasized the importance of large franchises that previously brought Warner Bros. the greatest profit. So he referred to productions such as Spiderman , Batman , or The Lord of the Rings . However, he admitted that he hoped to continue working with JK Rowling if the author expressed interest.
Controversy around JK Rowling
However, there is a lot of controversy around the development of the universe, and many of them have to do with Rowling herself. Over the past few years, her reputation has been severely tarnished by transphobic statements on social media. As a consequence, not only a significant part of the fans, but also actors, cut themselves off from the author. The following spoke, among others, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley).
Radcliffe referred to the situation in 2020 in a recent interview with Indie Wire , in which he admitted that he would not be able to face himself if he ignored the author’s negative statements.
“The reason why I felt a very, very strong need to speak back then was because, especially since the end of Potter, I met a lot of young non-heteronormative people who identified with the main character. Seeing how wounded they were that day, I wanted them to know that not all people associated with Harry Potter think this way. It was really important. “
What’s the future for the series?
The widespread aversion to Rowling is not the only reason for mixed feelings about the unfolding of the universe. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was originally intended to be 5 parts, but the future of the series is now in question. Among Dumbledore’s Mysteries in particular , there has been the most criticism. The main complaints relate to shallow storylines and unnecessary fragmentation of production. There were then many voices claiming that perhaps Harry Potter’s time is over and the world of magic should be left alone.
After the disappointing results of Dumbledore’s Secrets , there was also an opportunity to reboot the entire Wizarding World series. Although it cannot be denied that the original films have many flaws (as we wrote about here ), it seems that any attempt to replace them is doomed to failure. Set design, soundtrack and cast have become too recognizable parts of the universe.
Perhaps the mood among fans will change with the upcoming launch of The Hogwarts Heritage . The return to the iconic school of Witchcraft and Wizardry has a chance to arouse nostalgia among many people who lacked the classic Potter atmosphere in Fantastic Beasts .
At the moment, however, it is not known in which direction Zaslav will choose to go. Although the creators themselves admit that there are no active projects related to Wizarding World at the moment, this situation may change in the near future, if there is a possibility of further cooperation with JK Rowling.