At a recent Bloomberg conference, Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff revealed that the company isn’t quite done with theHarry Potteruniverse just yet. The finalHarry Potterfilm was released in 2011 but Warner Bros. has not forgotten about the Wizarding World.
In 2016, the production company released a spin-off of theHarry Potterseries entitledFantastic Beasts. Atthe beginning of the year, HBO Max will also feature a 20 anniversary special ofHarry Potterstarring many members of the original cast. The most recent addition to the Wizarding World ofHarry Potteris the TBS quiz show,Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses. It was produced by Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, the Warner Bros.' television and production company.
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Sarnoff revealed that Warner Bros. has hopes of developing moreHarry Pottercontent in the future. “We would love to develop more originalHarry Potterseries, and we regularly talk to J.K. Rowling and her team,” Sarnoff said. The Warner Bros. CEO went on to say that if the company is able to create freshHarry Pottercontent, that it has to be what’s right for the franchise. “Whatever we do has to be true to the canon, and true to the ethos of the Wizarding World and who Harry is.”
Sarnoff also discussed the upcoming Warner Bros. theatrical releases in 2022, which includesFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Despite many other studios' decisions to alter their release schedules for the upcoming year, Sarnoff said that Warner Bros. has no current plans to change its current release routine. Sarnoff also stated that the current strategy of releasing films on HBO Max and in theaters on the same day will likely not carry over into 2022. “Have we thought about going back to day-and-date?” Sarnoff asked. “Sure, we thought about it, but we have made our commitments to the theaters, to agents, to the talent. Everyone was hoping we would be on the other side of the pandemic right now.”
COVID has continued to have an impact on film and television production, asmany projects have been stalleddue to personnel obtaining the virus. Despite entering the second year of the pandemic, cases have continued to climb over the last few months as Delta and Omicron variants have begun to pop up all over the world. Sarnoff acknowledged that because of this, many people remain hesitant to return to the theaters and therefore, prefer the same-day release on HBO Max. With that in mind, Sarnoff is optimistic that by the timeThe Batmanreleases in theaters in early March, that movie attendance will have improved.
The exact details regarding upcoming theatrical releases remain unknown as global conditions continue to change. However, given that many of these projects have already been filmed, it remainsa matter of editing and eventual distribution. As studios continue to explore the best and safest way to cater to audiences and talent who have been involved with each project, they may begin to be left with a routine similar to the one they utilized this year.
All 8Harry Potterfilms are now streaming on HBO Max.
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