Warner Bros. Discovery CEO desires extra Harry Potter films

It’s onerous to imagine that the Harry Potter sequence concluded greater than a decade in the past with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Half 2. Certain, the franchise continued with Improbable Beasts and The place to Discover Them, however that sequence has exhibited diminishing returns with every installment. Regardless of that, the franchise continues to be a serious cash maker for Warner Bros. Discovery. Through the studio’s Q3 earnings name, President and CEO David Zazlav introduced up the potential of doing extra Harry Potter films.

Through the name, David Zaslav emphasised that Warner Bros. Discovery can have a “actual give attention to franchises” shifting ahead, and extra Harry Potter films might be part of that. “We haven’t had a Superman film in 13 years,” Zaslav mentioned. “We haven’t had a Harry Potter film in 15 years. The DC films and the Harry Potter films supplied quite a lot of the income for Warner Bros. … over the previous 25 years.” The chief added that he’d prefer to see extra from the franchise, “If we are able to do one thing with J.Okay. [Rowling] on Harry Potter going ahead.” Though Rowling has grow to be one thing of a controversial determine in recent times, she continues to be very a lot the shepherd of the franchise, and it’s onerous to think about something taking place with out her involvement or blessing.

There had beforehand been some discuss of Harry Potter content material being developed for HBO Max, however David Zaslav doesn’t appear to be a fan of spending cash on direct-to-streaming films. “We discovered what doesn’t work: And that is what doesn’t work for us primarily based on every thing that we’ve seen: Direct to streaming films,” Zaslav mentioned. “So spending a billion {dollars} or collapsing a movement image window right into a streaming service; the films that we launch in theater do considerably higher and launching a 2 hour 40 minute film direct to streaming has accomplished nothing for HBO Max by way of viewership, retention, or love of the service.” He added: “You give attention to the large films, the tentpoles that persons are going to go away residence, go away early from dinner to see.“

Would you prefer to see extra Harry Potter films?