Harry Potter will have longevity like Batman with fans asking “What Harry are you?”, studio says
It comes as Warner Bros plan to extend the franchise
by Elizabeth Aubrey · NMEThe Harry Potter franchise will have longevity like the Batman one with fans one day asking “what Harry are you?” as they do with the various incarnations of Batman, a studio executive from Warner Bros. has said.
It comes as a new Harry Potter spin-off series is in the works, which is slated to land in 2026. The show is expected to run for seven seasons, with each season adapting one of the books in J.K. Rowling’s series.
Additionally, a new Harry Potter themed show called Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking will arrive on November 14 on Food Network and Max. The show has a food-based competition format and comes as Warner Bros aims to launch a new wave of Harry Potter products – from video games to theme parks and live experiences, according to Variety.
David Haddad, president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment told Variety: “We have known for some time that fans are looking for more things in this world, and so we’re spending a lot of time thinking about that. Our insights tell us that there are not huge distinctions between a younger version of a fan and an older version of a fan. They’re just deep ‘Harry Potter’ fans, and we try to build authentic experiences to delight them.”
Robert Oberschelp, Warner Bros. Discovery’s head of global consumer products said he thinks the Harry Potter universe will later mirror the Batman one, with lots of different incarnations of Harry – as there have been with Batman. He told Variety: “How many different Batmans are there?” before adding that in time, fans will ask: “What Harry are you?” as the franchise grows.
Peter van Roden, executive VP of global themed entertainment at Warner Bros added: “You have to really remind yourself that it’s ever evolving, and nothing you’re doing is ever going to live forever. You have to always think about what’s new and different in the trends that are happening.”
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Meanwhile, the forthcoming Harry Potter TV series will be “more in-depth” than the movies, studio boss Channing Dungey recently confirmed.
The head of Warner Bros. Television Group gave an update on the HBO series to Variety after she was asked about it last month (October 21).
She said: “There’s not a lot to talk about at this moment. We’ve got our fantastic writing staff in place and they are doing what they need to do. And casting calls have opened up in the UK and Ireland, so the process is moving along. It’s going quite well.”
Dungey continued: “It’s an unbelievable dream, honestly, and as somebody who is a huge fan of books, the opportunity to get to explore them in maybe a little bit more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film, that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey.”
It was recently announced that the show would see Succession duo Francesca Gardiner as its writer and showrunner, and Mark Mylod as director on multiple episodes.
Cillian Murphy fans have also expressed an interest in the actor taking up the role of Voldemort in the show.