Harry Potter
Besides the rumor of a Harry Potter TV series, this time it is that of a film that is in the spotlight. In a Morgan Stanley talk to investors Thursday, Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia, vaguely discussed the handling of the Harry Potter saga. The reporters of The Hollywood Reporter report the comments.A few weeks ago, it was rumored that the successful Harry Potter saga could be the subject of an adaptation on the small screen on the side of HBO , the American channel behind the broadcast of Game of Thrones or the next series The Last of Us. The Deadline media indicated in mid-February that "discussions" had been initiated on the project with WarnerMedia, the parent company. But in a new interview with the same site, Casey Blows, HBO's content manager, preferred to specify that no contract had been signed, and that no one was being considered for a script. The man added that at the moment the project was not even "in the embryonic stage". On a more positive note, he still said that owning the franchise was a boon to the company and that “there will always be an interest in making something quality out of it.”
This week it's Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia, speaking more about the expansion of the fantasy universe:
There's this little thing called Harry Potter, which is one of the most beloved franchises. And we're incredibly grateful to be able to partner with J.K. Rowling. So I would say there is a lot of fun and potential there.
While nothing is confirmed in absolute terms regarding possible ongoing projects, The Hollywood Reporter, who shared the above statements, also reports that Warner Bros. would be in full discussion to perhaps propose a film based on the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. First published in 2016, the 4-act story sets its sights nineteen years after the events of the last novel in the main series and follows the adventures of Albus Severus Potter, son of Harry and Ginny Potter. The young person crosses the doors of Hogwarts to integrate the Slytherin house, alongside Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco Malfoy. Harry Potter was then employed at the Ministry of Magic, while Hermione Granger was a minister, and her husband Ron Weasley ran a joke shop.
Harry Potter spinoffs might be on the way, including a Cursed Child adaptation
© Provided by Total Film Harry PotterWarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has hinted that more Harry Potter spinoffs could be on the way.
Speaking at an investors conference, per The Hollywood Reporter, Kilar said: 'There's this little thing called Harry Potter, which is one of the most beloved franchises. And we're incredibly thankful to be able to partner with J.K. Rowling and so I would argue there's a lot of fun and potential there as well.'
Though nothing was said of what these possible spinoffs could be, THR reports that there is 'talk' that Warner Bros. could be working on a 'tentpole' movie based on the West End and Broadway stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The play is a sequel to the original books and movies, and follows the time-traveling adventures of Harry's son Albus and Draco Malfoy's son Scorpius.
Back in January, THR reported that a Harry Potter live-action series on HBO Max was in early development, though Warner Bros. fairly conclusively shut down speculation in a statement: 'There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.' It’s worth noting, though, that Tom Ascheim was reportedly appointed the head of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts properties in January, with a view to expanding the franchise.
At the moment, the Fantastic Beasts series is the only big-screen spinoff of the Potter movies. The prequel franchise has seen its fair share of turbulence lately, though, with Johnny Depp asked to step down from his role as Grindelwald, and Mads Mikkelsen replacing him.
There's no further word on potential future Harry Potter projects yet, but Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to arrive July 15, 2022. Until then, check out all of 2021's upcoming movie release dates, and find the best HBO Max deals.