While the final film in the series opens this weekend, Warner Brothers isn’t ready to retire the Harry Potter franchise.
hile the final film in the series opens this weekend, Warner Brothers isn’t ready to retire the Harry Potter franchise.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the studio plans to keep the franchise growing by expanding Potter theme parks around the world and investments into Potter-related online businesses and video games are among the plans. The studio also plans to make Leavesden Studios in London, where the eight movies were filmed, a tourist destination.
“We obviously think Potter is an evergreen property,” Warner Bros. chairman and CEO Barry Meyer tells the Wall Street Journal. “This is not something that ends with the film franchise.”
As a key challenge, the paper noted that as Warner tries to stretch the brand to new businesses, it will have to balance the desire for business success with the integrity of the story.
And there is the risk that the franchise may become stale down the line without new material.
Asked if Potter author J.K. Rowling will write another installment of the franchise one day, Warner executives said they don’t know. “Your guess is as good as mine,” Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, told the Journal. “If Jo doesn’t write another Harry Potter book, there isn’t going to be a new Harry Potter movie.”
Filed under D for “Duh”…
OH. If only it were true. If they can get the rights away from JK, they’ll have some hack write more books and movies.
And, uh. . .
When do you think the reboot will start production?
Harry Potter is…. Yet another AVENGER!
I know they are necessary but I often hate large corporations. They are the anti-matter to everything cool and creative. A good story has a beginning, a middle and an END! Time spent forcing yet another property to jump the shark is time they could be using to find the next hot property.
The stories ended precisely where they needed to, and did so in a very positive manner. As for keeping the franchise alive, do it with theme parks and Potter related destinations as well as games and an online presence, but leave the movie franchise alone. It is over now, just the way J.K. had intended