It was going to happen at some point, but who would have thought it would be this soon? A reboot of the Harry Potter film franchise is rumored to be in development at Warner Bros. According to CBR, Warner Bros. seriously considers rebooting the Harry Potter movies based on the main seven books. This would involve a complete recasting of all of the beloved characters. While this rumored recasting isn’t a done deal, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been open about wanting to revisit the franchise. “We haven’t done a Harry Potter movie in 15 years,” he said. “The DC movies and the Harry Potter movies provided a lot of the profits of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures over the last 25 years.”
Warner Bros. Wants to Revisit, and Maybe Reboot, ‘Harry Potter’ Movies
Zaslav has specifically expressed interest in making a film adaptation of the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is set after the events of the final book in the series. Chris Columbus, director of 2001’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, has also expressed an interest in adapting the play into a film. However, the now adult stars of the film have said they are not ready to return to the roles that made them famous. Moreover, J.K. Rowling has reportedly blocked this movie from happening. With this play adaptation looking more unlikely and with the Fantastic Beasts series proving to be critical and box office failures, a reboot may be the only chance for any more Harry Potter movies.
While Warner Bros. may understandably want to garner more Harry Potter revenue, the question remains: are fans ready for a Harry Potter reboot? While the first film celebrated its 20th-anniversary last year, the last film was released just over a decade ago. Moreover, the films are still well-loved among many fans. While an eventual reboot is inevitable, is it really time for Warner Bros. to restart the franchise from scratch?
