Warner Bros. Brass Hints At Upcoming Plans For THE LORD OF THE RINGS And HARRY POTTER Franchises

Warner Bros. Brass Hints At Upcoming Plans For THE LORD OF THE RINGS And HARRY POTTER Franchises

Warner Bros. Discovery's CFO has dropped some hints about what the studio has planned for the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings franchises, suggesting the former could be a well they return to soon...

News
By JoshWilding - Mar 10, 2023 07:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Lord of the Rings
Source: Variety (via SFFGazette.com)

With Discovery now calling the shots, Warner Bros. is looking to boost earnings by revisiting some of its most profitable franchises. That explains the renewed focus on the DC Universe (which has been struggling for a while now) and the recent news that we're getting more movies set in the world of The Lord of the Rings. 

During a recent investor conference (via SFFGazette.com), Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels was asked when we can actually expect to return to Middle-earth. 

"David [Zaslav] made a promise, quote-unquote, very early on to revitalize some of that iconic, tentpole IP and we’re starting to make progress," he responded, largely evading the question. "It’s exciting to see how people are coming in and out and how the creative community is embracing this opportunity to work with us. That’s going to bear fruit, over time."

It's previously been reported that these movies will focus on established characters from the original trilogy like Aragorn and Gandalf, news which was met with a mixed response from fans. 

Another fantasy franchise we can anticipate being revisited in some fashion, of course, is Harry Potter. 

Hot off the heels of video game Hogwarts Legacy's massive success, Wiedenfels strongly hinted Warner Bros. is mulling over other ways to expand the franchise, stoking the flames of rumours that we're getting either a movie based on The Cursed Child or some sort of remake.

"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."

"We’ve got the new ‘Harry Potter’ tour coming up in Tokyo in the middle of the year," he continues. "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."

We'll see what happens, but only time will tell whether revisiting The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is going to pay off for the studio. 

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SKetCH
SKetCH - 3/10/2023, 7:37 AM
If I go back to Middle Earth I'd like to tag along with some new faces for some new adventures (past, present, or future).

While I've been runnin' around Hogwarts the last month, if I go back on the silver screen, I would much rather a Cursed Child adaptation rather than a reboot.

HOWEVER... I'll happily take a reboot if it's a seriously-funded HBO series.
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 3/10/2023, 7:55 AM
@SKetCH - cursed child is caca. I’d rather a new story and pretend that didn’t happen.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/10/2023, 7:43 AM
They did try expand Harry Potter. It’s called Fantastic Beasts, and it flopped. One good game, and these dickheads wanna build a Harry Potter cinematic universe. Smh.
Oberlin4Prez
Oberlin4Prez - 3/10/2023, 8:44 AM
@PlusUltra - Given the lord Rowling created it does make sense to want to expand on that. I think the problem they faced was similar to Star Wars and that’s a need to tell a “new story” but then bog it down with still being tied to the original story. It’s a big wide wizarding world, there’s a lot of potential for more if they could divorce themselves from needing to draw from the well of Harry Potter past.
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 3/10/2023, 8:57 AM
@PlusUltra - But I'd argue those films weren't very successful not because people aren't interested in Harry Potter (look at Hogwarts Legacy's success), but rather those movies were incredibly unfocused and not particularly good.

There's still a big appetite for the Wizarding World. Just not that, and definitely not The Cursed Child.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/10/2023, 9:22 AM
@SheepishOne - Wouldn’t that suggest there isn’t really that much hunger for the franchise outside of the originals?
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/10/2023, 9:33 AM
@PlusUltra - People want more Star Wars, even after Rise of the Skywalker. People want more MCU, even after, well, most of Phase 4. People want more Harry Potter, even after Fantastic Beasts and Cursed Child.
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 3/10/2023, 11:07 AM
@PlusUltra - A show or movie about the first Wizarding War would be really cool and would be tied to the original just a little.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 3/10/2023, 11:57 AM
@ClintThaHamster - Star Wars has always been highly successful outside of the original movies though. Harry Potter hasn’t. They’re not the same.
SheepishOne
SheepishOne - 3/10/2023, 12:37 PM
@PlusUltra - Not at all. If we count the Fantastic Beasts movies as a single entity, then there have been two major franchise extensions beyond the originals. One of them (Fantastic Beasts) didn't have a ton of success, and one (Hogwarts Legacy) was a monster success.

Fantastic Beasts was plagued with a lot of issues that didn't have to do with Harry Potter as an IP. For one, there was the whole Johnny Depp Amber Heard situation, where people initially weren't on Depp's side. There was also all of the issues with Ezra Miller, and then of course the trans stuff with J.K. Rowling being directly involved. On top of all of that, those movies couldn't decide which story to follow, so they just became a hodgepodge of random stuff.

Hogwarts Legacy is a good example of the potential of an extended universe of sorts with The Wizarding World, as it has even less to do with Harry Potter's story than Fantastic Beasts did.

I think there's a lot of potential to explore things like the founding of Hogwarts, stories at other wizard schools, a sports movie/series focused on quidditch, or any number of things. Something like a Forest Gump-esque story about Gilderoy Lockhart's fake life could be a series. The Marauders could have a series. There's a lot there, you just have to get food writers.
Clintthahamster
Clintthahamster - 3/10/2023, 1:34 PM
@PlusUltra - The first Harry Potter book is the 4th best selling book of all time, and 7 of the top 20 best selling books of all time are HP. There's a massively successful theme park with more than 10 million visitors a year. Each Harry Potter movie grossed over a billion dollars adjusting for inflation. Even the TERRIBLE Fantastic Beasts movies have grossed nearly $2 billion dollars all told. I think it's fair to compare the HP to Star Wars.
The1st
The1st - 3/10/2023, 1:43 PM
@ClintThaHamster - People want some sort of closure I thought, but now I am thinking solace as these franchises are open ended. Star Wars could go forever, Potter could as well, but the stories have to be there or fans complain about living vicarious through crap changes and stories.
Chewtoy
Chewtoy - 3/10/2023, 7:49 AM
“ That’s going to bear fruit, over time."

Cynical Translation: We don’t have real plans, but we want to hype up the fact that we own these franchises ahead of any new merger/sale we go through next year.
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/10/2023, 8:21 AM
In case of both, I hope they have interesting premises to build off of.

There is enough cool stuff in both their lores that can be adapted, and stick to it. Rings of Power and Fantastic Beasts were way too occupied with other stuff.
EZBeast
EZBeast - 3/10/2023, 9:28 AM
@bkmeijer1 - an adaption of Lotr the silmarillion would be amazing to see on the big screen!
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 3/10/2023, 9:39 AM
@EZBeast - doubt that is ever gonna happen. Think the First Age is the one thing the Tolkien estate is gonna keep the rights to.

Could see them release the Second Age rights though, although I wouldn't be surprised if they're sceptical about that too after Rings of Power.

Anyway, atleast we have other fantasy shows to look forward to (eg Warhammer)
EZBeast
EZBeast - 3/10/2023, 11:01 AM
@bkmeijer1 - true but wishful thinking. Whatever they release will be better than that [frick]ing rings of power show!
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 3/10/2023, 8:49 AM
If they quickly spent $150-200 million on a legacy Harry Potter sequel with the original cast, where they swear ad have sex, written by someone other than JK Rowling they and had it ready to release sometime next year (it doesn't have to be quality, CHURN IT OUT AND CHURN IT OUT FAST! THROW MONEY AT IT) it would make the quickest cash imaginable.

Get a writer other than JK Rowling to write it. There are many writers who would die to write this, many good writers, take pitches, pick the best one who can get it written fast enough and start production before they even put pen to paper.

Let Harry be WBD's whore, not DC.

There should be no quick cash DC films like Joker 2 and Aquaman 2 (or Constantine 2) in-between The Flash and Superman Legacy.

The Flash will make a promise. You do not want to spend the next year and a half breaking that promise.
theFUZZ008
theFUZZ008 - 3/10/2023, 8:56 AM
How are those Beast films doing?
soberchimera
soberchimera - 3/10/2023, 9:02 AM
They just need to adapt a different fantasy franchise at this point, Elric or Thomas Covenant come to mind.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 3/10/2023, 9:13 AM
Give me a Harry Potter as an adult trilogy where Harry comes out of retirement to fight dark forces. Combine Harry Potter, 007, mission impossible and Dr Strange styles to make a couple action thrillers with Harry Potter and friends.
ZomZom
ZomZom - 3/10/2023, 9:31 AM
An adult Harry Potter, with more to lose, returning to fight dark forces does whet the appetite BUT Wiedenfels makes it sound entirely like a corporate, spreadsheet decision, which just turns the stomach a little. I want to hear about the untold story, the passion and the artistry.
Oskir
Oskir - 3/10/2023, 9:32 AM
« this massive success with the ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ launch, 12 years after the last film came out »

Even Warner forgot they made 3 Fantastic Beasts movies…
thunderpun573
thunderpun573 - 3/10/2023, 10:22 AM
I could not give two shits about the Harry Potter franchise anymore.
I’m down for a return to middle earth I guess, I liked what I saw from the Amazon series but I never finished it.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 3/10/2023, 10:38 AM
Yes to both, but I expect to be severely disappointed. I'd imagine WB execs salivating at the thought of a Harry Potter book that hasn't been adapted into a movie yet, and they're gonna think Cursed Child will be this massive hit because it's "a Harry Potter book"
DocSpock
DocSpock - 3/10/2023, 10:54 AM


Harry Potter - Never read or saw any of it.

LOTR - After seeing the mess they made of the TV show, this really scares me. Making movies about the main characters? Maybe origin stories? Danger Will Robinson. DANGER!!
Arthorious
Arthorious - 3/10/2023, 11:05 AM
Might be crazy ambitious but I would love to see Silmarillion come to life.
Blergh
Blergh - 3/10/2023, 12:55 PM
While I HATE that Idea I'll throw my ideas in the ring:

Albus Potter & the Cursed Child (December, 2024)
Middle-Earth: The New Shadow (December, 2025)
Albus Potter & the Legacy of Snakes (December, 2026)
Middle-Earth: The New Dominion (December, 2027)
Albus Potter & the Rule of Seven (December, 2028)
Middle-Earth: The New War (December, 2029)
Albus Potter & the Beast Below Gringots (December, 2030)
Middle-Earth: The New Dawn (December, 2031)
Albus Potter & the Graveyard of Heroes (December, 2032)

HBO Max:
The Silmarilion (read by Ian McKellan, overlaid with painted & animated illustrations)
Matrix (four seasons told over three timelines)
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/10/2023, 4:59 PM
More decent Lord Of The Rings yes please, as for Harry Potter,I couldn't careless.
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