Credit: Warner Bros.Fans of Harry Potter rejoice!
For a few years now, it has looked like the world just might have seen the end of Harry Potter. The massive backlash from J.K. Rowling’s commentary could have well been the final nail in the Wizarding World coffin. Together with the cancelation of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, things were not looking up for the magical world of Hogwarts and beyond. Warner Bros., however, doesn’t see it that way, and it’s thanks in large part to Hogwarts: Legacy.
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The new video game has been extremely popular, despite initial signs that it could fail. Many were calling for a boycott of the game due to its close connection to Rowling, calling attempts at inclusion and representation insulting. There were even complaints that the goblins, who represent a large portion of the antagonists, were Jewish-coded and antisemitic in nature. This hasn’t stopped the game from gaining steam, however.
The new entry into the Wizarding World has already broken records. Warner Bros. Games confirmed that just two weeks after release, the game had sold 12 million units, raking in nearly $900 million in sales. Not only was this the biggest release for Warner Bros. Games, but things haven’t stopped either! Hogwarts Legacy players are still buying, playing, and enjoying the game, which makes the studio’s next comments make a lot more sense.
Variety reported on some comments made by Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels, in which the executive hinted at the future of the Wizarding World in entertainment.
“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’ comments indicate that, in contrast to easing off or toning things down when it comes to Harry Potter, Warner Bros. is planning on ramping things up. Together with the newly reported Lord of the Rings films in the works, the studio is poised to capitalize on two properties that were immensely popular earlier in the century. The question is, what will the new Harry Potter content focus on? Harry, Ron, and Hermione and their families? Or something else? And will the fans respond as enthusiastically to new offerings as they have in the past?
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Until then, fans can enjoy Hogwarts Legacy, which is available on PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. The distance prequel to the Harry Potter franchise takes place in the late 1800s and puts gamers in the shoes of a Hogwarts student, allowing them to learn spells, ride broomsticks, and explore the Wizarding World as they’ve come to know it in the Harry Potter franchise.
What would you like to see in the future of Harry Potter? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!
