Harry Potter is a beloved character that has become ingrained within British culture, joining the likes of Doctor Who and James Bond to create an everlasting, magical legacy. Joining the Boy Who Lived on the big screen is the recent Fantastic Beasts film series, which is releasing its third entry within a matter of days. With most franchises these days branching off into different stories and spin-offs, the Wizarding World franchise has kept its feet firmly on the ground without any television spin-offs or expanded world stories.
Back in 2001, the first Harry Potter book was transformed into a big-budget film with critical and commercial success. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson became household names and soon enough the following six books were all brought to life by an assortment of different filmmakers. Each entry was a success and the world that J.K. Rowling had created was now known around the world. However, after the final Harry Potter film came out in 2011, interest in the series started to dwindle.
After Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, filmmakers across the world tried to find the “next” Harry Potter by adapting other big fantasy books. Some worked, like the Twilight series, and others sadly didn’t make it past one film (I’m looking at you The Golden Compass). After a few years of copycat films bracing our cinema screens the obvious thing to do was to revisit this magical world. Then began the Fantastic Beasts series.
At the time the excitement for a new series of films set in the Wizarding World was palpable and fans across the globe couldn’t wait to revisit some of the iconic locations already established in this world. The first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, was a hit with Eddie Redmayne inhabiting the role of Newt Scamander with ease and charm. Moving the Wizarding World to America was also an inspired move as we learnt more about the wider Wizarding community and explored the countless cultures in said communities. Sadly, the second film in the Fantastic Beasts series wasn’t as adored as the first.
Today, the Wizarding World has seen a small bit of controversy behind-the-scenes, with the recasting of Grindelwald from Johnny Depp to Mads Mikkelsen and to the sensitive comments made by story matriarch, J.K. Rowling, displacing her from her own legacy. We are currently living in hard and sensitive times, especially with the last few years still fresh in everyone’s memory. So the pressure for the third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, to be a success is pretty high. This film could make or break the series, depending on how critics and fans perceive the film.
One thing is for sure though, whatever happens next the magic of the Wizarding World will continue to live on. With theme parks, video games and West End shows all proving to be worthwhile successes, there is a question as to what Harry Potter means today. The Wizarding World is not just about Harry Potter, or Newt Scamander, anymore. This is a series where people feel accepted and loved for who they are and wish to get their own letters to Hogwarts. So I think it is safe to say that the magic will never go away.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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