Warner Bros has made several big announcements about the Harry Potter franchise, demonstrating that the company hasn’t quite figured out the fandom. None of this is to say that we shouldn’t be excited about these new projects. The Harry Potter TV show in the works for HBO is divisive, but the other new versions of Harry Potter—the full-cast audio production and the Shared Reality adaptation of Sorcerer’s Stone—have some value. Still, these aren’t what fans have been begging for.
Warner Bros’ Shared Reality experience will see the first Harry Potter movie adapted into a full-dome, virtual reality cinematic experience at Cosm venues.
After the central Harry Potter movies wrapped up, Warner Bros went to work figuring out what would be next for the franchise. Fans came in waves with requests for some spinoffs, and WB delivered in the form of the Fantastic Beasts movies. Unfortunately, the series failed after three of its planned five installments. This hasn’t stopped the franchise, however, and after parking Fantastic Beasts, WB slowly rolled out announcements for its three new versions of the original Harry Potter stories. The problem is, fans still haven’t gotten their spinoffs.
Warner Bros Doesn’t Seem To Understand What Went Wrong With Fantastic Beasts
Jude Law as Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts the Secrets of Dumbledore
The fact that Warner Bros has steered clear of Harry Potter spinoffs since Fantastic Beasts flopped indicates that the company has no real understanding of why these films didn’t work. It’s not that there isn’t enough interest in spinoffs. Rather, the Fantastic Beasts movies were misleading about what they were. A quirky exploration of Newt Scamander and his amazing creatures is one thing, and a Dumbledore prequel is another. A strange combination of the two didn’t work.
Dumbledore didn’t appear in Fantastic Beasts until the second movie, so he wasn’t even the central protagonist of his own prequel story. The split focus on all these characters meant that audiences didn’t get the stories they had been waiting years for. Three movies went by, and Dumbledore’s legendary duel with Grindelwald still hadn’t made it to the screen. It’s no surprise that fans finally gave up on the project.
Warner Bros seems to have concluded that viewers are only interested in stories revolving around Harry’s years at Hogwarts.
We could go on and on about other reasons Fantastic Beasts failed. The new film series aimed to cater more to adult audiences, significantly reducing its viewer base. Johnny Depp was recast in Secrets of Dumbledore, despite Rowling’s assurances that that wouldn’t happen. There are really countless reasons, but Warner Bros seems to have concluded that viewers are only interested in stories revolving around Harry’s years at Hogwarts.
The Best We Can Do Is Hope For More Harry Potter Spinoffs After These New Versions
Fantastic Beasts was barely an adequate answer to fans’ requests for specific spinoffs, so it’s really a shame that this film series put Warner Bros off the whole idea. We’d still love to see a true Dumbledore prequel, preferably one that starts with his days at school and concludes with his duel with Grindelwald. A Marauders prequel is another highly requested spinoff, as well as something revolving entirely around Lord Voldemort.
There’s still hope we could get some of these spinoffs in the future. However, the unfortunate truth is that it likely wouldn’t be until after Warner Bros has seen that the Harry Potter fandom will still prove financially beneficial. If the Harry Potter TV show, Audible production, and Shared Reality adaptation perform well, then the time could finally come for further stories. If they fail, however, then Warner Bros may again misunderstand what the Harry Potter fandom actually wants.
Cast
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, Alan Rickman, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Richard Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Alfred Enoch, Harry Melling, Gary Oldman, Robert Pattinson, Warwick Davis, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, David Bradley, David Thewlis, Katie Leung, Jason Isaacs, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, Jamie Campbell Bower, Timothy Spall, Robbie Coltrane, Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Johnny Depp, Mads Mikkelsen
Movie(s)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
