Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has said he wants to make more Harry Potter films, if J. K. Rowling agrees.
During an investor’s Q3 call this week, the CEO opened up about his ambitions to potentially work on further productions in the wizarding world... but only if the creator herself will agree.
“We’re going to focus on franchises," he said.
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“We haven’t had a Superman movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a Harry Potter in 15 years. The DC movies and the Harry Potter movies provided a lot of the profits for Warner Bros. … over the past 25 years."
He added: “If we can do something with J.K. on Harry Potter going forward.”
The comment was made while the CEO was discussing the importance of franchises.
"So a focus on the franchise — one of the big advantages that we have, House of the Dragon is an example of that, Game of Thrones, taking advantage of Sex and the City, Lord of the Rings, we still have the right to do Lord of the Rings movies.
"What are the movies that have brands that are understood and loved everywhere in the world?”
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Warner Bros. released eight Harry Potter films between the years of 2001 and 2011, grossing $7.7 billion globally.
The studio has not produced a Harry Potter movie for over 10 years, when the franchise ended with Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which was released in 2011.
In the years since the movies were released, some fans have suspected there could be tensions between Rowling and Warner Bros., however, this was rejected by the studio.
They released a statement explaining: “For 20 years, Warner Bros., J.K. Rowling and her team have worked together to delight fans around the world with spectacular storytelling and the magic of the Wizarding World.”
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It comes after Rowling faced backlash following comments she made in 2020 about the sexes and transgender women.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction," she said at the time.
“If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
Following the comments, Rowling faced immediate backlash and was accused of spreading dangerous, transphobic views.
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Harry Potter stars like Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne quickly released statements in support of the transgender community.
Topics: TV and Film, Harry Potter
Lucy Devine