It’s a bit difficult to work with J.K. Rowling these days following the transphobic controversy the Harry Potter author has gotten into. But, it seems that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is playing blind to this issue as he announces his enthusiasm to work with Rowling again.
As long as it brings money, who cares about a couple of malicious tweets? This seems to be the mindset of Zaslav as he tells the investors during a call at WB studio that he is trying to convince Rowling to make more Harry Potter content.
David Zaslav Talks About Bringing Back Harry Potter Franchise
As reported by Variety, the WB CEO plans to revive the Harry Potter franchise rather than focus on any of its spin-offs.
“We haven’t had a ‘Superman’ movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a ‘Harry Potter’ movie in 15 years. The DC movies and the ‘Harry Potter’ movies provided a lot of the profits of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures over the last 25 years.”
When Zaslav said that there have not been any Harry Potter movies in the last 15 years, fans might get confused as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore just came out this year. It is the third installment of a five-part planned series. Unfortunately, the film became the lowest-grossing installment in the Wizarding World franchise.
RELATED: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Loses It’s Magic With $43 Million on Opening Weekend
It is clear that Zaslav is trying to push for a return of the Harry Potter franchise than a venture with another spin-off film as the studio has seen diminishing returns with the Fantastic Beasts movies. In other words, it isn’t giving them enough money, and Zaslav is willing to cut off anything that isn’t favorable to the company. That being said, the last two Fantastic Beasts films might be in danger.
Fantastic Beasts Sequels Might Sit On The Backburner For A While
There were so many controversies surrounding the spin-off franchise since the beginning. Aside from Rowling’s attacks on the trans community, Ezra Miller was also having his own scandalous escapades. The actor portrayed Credence Barebone in the 2016 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Then there’s Johnny Depp and his court case against ex-wife Amber Heard. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald. Apparently, the Hannibal star wants to consult with Depp after the immediate replacement and hopes that he will return to reprise the role.
On the other hand, Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander, says he has no say about the future of the franchise. The actor told IndieWire, “It’s more a question for J. K. Rowling and David Yates and Warners, but I don’t know, I’m afraid. I can’t add to that. I love playing Newt, he’s a sweet man.”
At the moment, there are no discussions regarding any Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts works in development.
