Warner Bros. CEO wants a ‘Harry Potter’ sequel. But fans – and the stars – might not.
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J.K. Rowling angers LGBT+ community after making light of ‘people who menstruate’ headline
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The “Harry Potter” film franchise properly ended a decade ago with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” though the wizarding world has lived on through spinoff film series “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them,” not to mention the boy wizard franchise’s myriad other merchandising opportunities.
But one Warner Bros. exec doesn’t think Harry Potter’s journey should be over.
“We haven’t had a Superman movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a Harry Potter in 15 years,” said Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav during an investor call Thursday, per The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. “The DC movies and the Harry Potter movies provided a lot of the profits for Warner Bros … over the past 25 years.”
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Zaslav expressed an interest in furthering the “Potter” franchise “if we can do something with (author J.K. Rowling) on Harry Potter going forward.”
But should they?
‘Harry Potter’ premiered nearly 21 years ago: How did childhood fame treat Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint?
Rowling has not publicly responded to the idea. USA TODAY has reached out to her representative for comment. It’s not completely out of the question that she’d approve of a continuation of Harry and co.’s journey – in 2016 she co-created a sequel play, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” the script for which was also released in book form. And the franchise as a whole shows no signs of stopping: There’s the theme parks, studio tour, Forbidden Forest walkthrough experiences, stores, video games, concert series and beyond.
In some ways, a new film with a direct link to the title character could be a saving grace for the franchise’s film endeavors, given the way that interest in the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise has waned: The most recent film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” garnered mixed reviews, a 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and just $48 million at the box office opening weekend in March, a franchise low.
That loss of interest from fans can be attributed to several factors including Warner Bros.’ silence on continued abuse allegations against Ezra Miller’s (Credence Barebone), and the idea that a magical spinoff series completely misses what fans love about the world of “Potter.”
“The purpose of these movies has never felt like much beyond keeping the Potter train running,” Associated Press critic Jake Coyle wrote at the time of the film’s release.
More: Why ‘Fantastic Beasts’ is destroying what fans loved most about ‘Harry Potter’
Rowling’s anti-trans comments complicates the ‘Harry Potter’ legacy
But Rowling’s involvement in a new “Potter” story could also present complications. The author has been wrapped in controversy over the last few years after sharing multiple posts online voicing opinions on the transgender community that conflated sex with gender and defended ideas suggesting that changing one’s biological sex threatens her own gender identity. And she doubled down even after the posts were widely perceived as transphobic, misinformative and hurtful.
Several cast members including stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) condemned Rowling’s comments.
“The reason I was felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that,” Radcliffe recently told IndieWire. “And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”
A “Potter” reunion special released at the beginning of the year brought back more than a dozen cast members to reminisce about their time in the franchise, though notably not Rowling, who only appeared briefly via old archival footage. (She did, however, attend the world premiere earlier this year of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” for which she remains a writer and producer.)
More: How trans ‘Harry Potter’ fans are grappling with J.K. Rowling’s legacy after her transphobic comments
Would the original ‘Harry Potter’ actors return?
Radcliffe made it clear earlier this year that he isn’t interested in reprising his titular role anytime soon. Grint said he’d only return if Radcliffe and Watson did, too. And given that all three have publicly opposed Rowling’s views, a reunion with her involvement seems unlikely.
Other alums have continued to stay involved in the Potter world, albeit not directly with Rowling. Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley) regularly appear at fan conventions and Universal theme park-sponsored events. Last month, Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) released a memoir with a decidedly “Potter”-esque title: “Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard.”
Several actors from the films have since died, which presents further obstacles in story-writing, barring recasting any of the deceased actors.
Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid) died last month; and others including Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), Helen McCrory (Narcissa Malfoy), Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley) and John Hurt (Garrick Ollivander) were mourned in the reunion special.
Up next: ‘Harry Potter’ star Tom Felton recalls harrowing rehab escape, Emma Watson bond in new memoir
And: How the ‘Harry Potter’ reunion addresses author J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans controversy
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Warner Bros. CEO wants a ‘Harry Potter’ sequel. But fans – and the stars – might not.