The wizarding world has been struggling for years after a long run of success. The Harry Potter series received universal praise, attracting auteurs like Alfonso Cuar and casting a spell on audiences of all ages. The results were immediately visible at the box office, with every film in the series grossing over $700 million. The Harry Potter franchise redefined the fantasy genre and defined an entire generation.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a spinoff book of the wizarding world. The first film was intriguing enough to get fans to come back. Audiences lost interest once it became clear that the saga was about to start another wizarding war. Critics panned the sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, a film that single-handedly derailed the wizarding world due to its lack of purpose and meaningless stories. The third film has added fuel to the already raging fire, and now that it has come along, the damage seems beyond repair. It wasn't enough to save a ship that had hit the ice and was flooding with water, even though The Secrets of Dumbledore received a better critical reception.
The fans of the wizarding world are still very much interested in the war. Audiences were not attracted to the limp and underdeveloped romance between the two characters. Harry's spell still packs a punch. The Potter saga is one of the main assets of the company. Fans are eagerly waiting for the upcoming video game, which will confirm that the wizarding world is alive and well.
It's easy to think that the answer is going back to Hogwarts, away from the adult witches and wizards that took the charm away from the movies. The original franchise had the so-called Golden Trio that carried it on their backs. The solution might not be so simple, especially with the School of Witcraft and Wizardry.
Can the wizarding world still thrive if it is so closely associated with the author of Fantastic Beasts? The answer is yes. It needs to get away from Rowling and let go of its legacy characters in favor of new ones that better represent the fans. It is just a matter of perspective that a post- Fantastic Beasts wizarding world can exist without J.K. Rowling.
There are a lot of opportunities in the wizarding world. There are many ways to exploit it. The past of the magical community was barely developed in the original books and rarely mentioned in the current franchise. One of the most famous characters in pop culture is King Arthur, and he is part of the Potter canon. In the context of the wizarding world, what would Camelot look like? King Arthur's story keeps people interested, so mixing him with the wizarding world makes sense. An extra layer of complexity to the plot was added by the fact that Slytherin is notorious among the magical community. The Harry Potter books say that all dark wizards are Slytherins.
The wizarding world has a black-and-white approach to villainy. You are either good or bad. Since we are living in the age of the antihero, what better time to introduce one to the world of Harry Potter? Maybe a swashbuckler buccaneer or a charming knight from medieval times. The U.K.'s history is rich and intricate, so why don't fans know much about it?
We don't need to see how the Ministry of Magic came to be, but it might be interesting to see magic during a real-life event, long before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy became a law? It sounds like an adventure during the Tudor period would be perfect. Anne Boleyn may have been one of the witches in the wizarding world. During Victorian England, magic was a major form of entertainment, and films like The Illusionist proved that there is an audience for those stories.
A major part of the franchise is quidditch. quidditch is an incredible sport that many people would love to play in real life, and some of the best moments in the early films showcased it. In 2012 Oxford University hosted the Global Games, featuring teams from the U.K., U.S., Canada, France, and Australia. The next cup will be held in Virginia in 2023, and it is open to elite international competition teams.
quidditch players aren't even Potter fans, but they are in it for the thrill of the sport. Even if there are no flying brooms, quidditch is still exciting and amazing, inspiring devotion from loyalists and non-fans alike. The perfect example of the Wizarding World going beyond the original creation is Quidditch. Where is the quidditch film?
Hollywood has a lot of sports films. Romance, drama, comedy, and sometimes even fantasy are mixed with sports in some of the best examples. Films like Jerry Maguire, Bull Durham, and The Hustler present the perfect combination of sport and romance, while others like Raging Bull, The Pride of the Yankees, and Caddyshack feature a blend of both.
A quidditch film would allow fans to see the game in all it's glory while also experiencing a new side to the wizarding world. The all-female team, the Holyhead Harpies, could be the center of a League of Their Own-like approach. It could be a romance between the captains of rival teams as they prepare to play in the World Cup. The film could only be about a quidditch team and its highs and lows. There are so many possibilities for a quidditch movie, especially considering the sports and wide appeal.
New York was supposed to be the setting for the first film in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Future entries went back to the Old Continent, but stayed within the context of English. In places like Africa or South America, she has made only vague mentions of the magical community.
The Potter franchise has made over $9 billion worldwide, with most of it coming from the international box office. Fans around the globe want to see more of the Wizarding World, and it doesn't take much effort to guess they want to see themselves represented in the franchise they so adore. The wizarding world is afraid of expanding into new territories.
It's possible that magic has a connection with ancient Egyptians and their priests. Uagadou is a school of magic that the entire continent shares. There are opportunities for the franchise in Africa. The setting might be perfect for another teen-centered adventure, appealing to younger generations and those looking for nostalgia. It is strange that no other major franchise has capitalized on the fact that Black Panther is a huge audience for stories set in Africa.
South America has a similar situation, with the Aztecs and the Mayas steeped in fascinating mythology that could easily tie into magic. There is a magical school located in the rainforest in South America. The setting for a Wizarding World movie is amazing, but it could be even better if action-adventure elements were added. A movie or show centered on this region could have truly inspired casting, with characters from Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Brazil.
The Wizarding World has stated its commitment to diversity many times, but it has yet to feature a lead character who is a person of color in any of its stories. Going international would prove that the franchise's diversity claims are more than just cheap talk.
Where is the wizarding world currently located? It's hard to say. Its once irreproachable legacy is being tainted by too many controversies and failures. Warner Bros. needs to rethink its direction before it becomes too bad to rescue. The studio needs to take it one step at a time and not begin five-movie sagas without the certainty that audiences want to buy what they're selling.
The property is vast and expansive and full of unexplored opportunities waiting for the taking. It might be better for the franchise's longevity to separate from the damaging stances of J.K. Rowling. If Disney could convince George Lucas to sell Lucasfilm, surely Warner Bros. could do the same. Warner's poor job with DC might not sound ideal, but it might also open a new chapter for the struggling Wizarding World, one where films finally moved away from the dark wizard trope and into more diverse stories.
It won't be easy because the franchise has suffered a lot of damage, but nothing is impossible, and one thing is certain: audiences are still loyal to the brand. There are enough AO3 and Wattpad fanfics to prove that fans are open to new Wizarding World stories. Warner, your move, then.
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