Warner Bros.' plans for the Harry Potter franchise are still unknown, but a new update may tease an exciting future for the Wizarding World.
Although the main story of the Harry Potter books was already adapted into live-action, things are not slowing down for the world of witchcraft and wizardry.
Although the Fantastic Beasts movies did not live up to the expectations of many fans, the recently-released Hogwarts Legacy game managed to revitalize the franchise after record-breaking sales.
And it seems Hogwarts Legacy's success is only the beginning.
Warner Bros. Teases Harry Potter Expansion
While speaking at a panel at Morgan Stanley's investor conference, via Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels talked about the exciting possibilities for the Harry Potter/Wizarding World franchise.
While noting Hogwarts Legacy's successful launch, the Warner Bros. executive teased that "there is so much opportunity" for the Wizarding World's expansion:
“Take ‘Harry Potter’ as an example, the Wizarding World, the fact that we are enjoying this massive success with the ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ launch, 12 years after the last film came out, shows that there is so much opportunity and we’re only just starting to expand that.”
Wiedenfels then used the upcoming Harry Potter tour in Tokyo as an example, saying that it will release later in the year:
"We’ve got the new ‘Harry Potter’ tour coming up in Tokyo in the middle of the year."
Ultimately, the top executive pointed out that the said expansion will boil down to "coordinated franchise management" across the board:
"Long story short, I think this one-company approach, great leadership in the individual business units, but coordinated franchise management is probably one of the biggest opportunities the company has.”
Warner Bros. Games president David Haddad spoke with Variety to celebrate Hogwarts Legacy's incredible launch, hinting that it will be a long-term franchise while also saying that he sees a "bright future:"
“We are very pleased with the initial launch and see a bright future for our other platform launches.”
This possible expansion is good news for diehard Harry Potter fans, especially after Ron Weasley actor Rupert Grint's comments about potentially returning to the Wizarding World "if the timing is right."
How Will Harry Potter's World Expand?
It is unknown how Warner Bros. will expand the much-talked-about Wizarding World franchise, but there are many possibilities.
One possible route is adapting the ninth book of the franchise, titled Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. A past rumor indicated that a Harry Potter 9 could be in the works, with Warner Bros. executives reportedly leaning towards a live-action adaptation at some point.
A potential Cursed Child adaptation could do wonders for Warner Bros. and the Wizarding World franchise, but the creative team would need to carefully execute its story in order to be a success. Moreover, bringing back the original cast (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson) should be a no-brainer to further cement the movie's triumph.
Meanwhile, given Hogwarts Legacy's success, it's possible that Warner Bros. could use the game as an inspiration for the studio's plans for a TV show spin-off.
Warner Bros. TV CEO Channing Dungey previously said that there is a “tremendous amount of ambition” for a Harry Potter TV series, meaning that plans could include the game as a possible reference.
Hopefully, more concrete plans will be laid out soon.
