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Is a new era of the Wizarding World upon us? Like so many successful franchises, fans of the Harry Potter adventures will likely have new stories to enjoy in the coming years, as well as revisiting the beloved tales in all new ways. Author J.K. Rowling conceived the story of a young boy (that being Harry, of course) combating evil forces as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry in her seven fantasy novels, beginning with 1997’s Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone. The success of the books led to Warner Bros’ blockbuster film series that spanned from 2001 to 2011 and starred Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, alongside Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, and more.
In the years that followed the original films ending, the Harry Potter universe expanded to include the Fantastic Beasts spin-off prequel films, a Tony Award-winning stage play performed around the globe, an Emmy-nominated quiz show hosted by actress Helen Mirren , and the anniversary special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts, which reunited the Golden trio, as well as stars like Gary Olman, Helena Bonham Carter, and Robbie Coltrane, in his last appearance before his death.
So then, what’s on the horizon? Well, given that the franchise’s creator has continually come under fire for anti-trans comments, and the last Fantastic Beasts film did so poorly at the box office, one might think that this would be the end of the road for Potter fans. However, nothing seems farther from the truth. Here’s everything we know about all the upcoming Harry Potter projects.
Harry Potter Live-Action Series
In January 2021, news broke that a Harry Potter live-action series is in early development at HBO Max. No writers or talent have been confirmed to be attached to the upcoming project, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Reports also noted that the franchise has “complicated rights issues,” due to NBCUniversal’s seven-year rights deal with Warner Bros. Two years later though, the rumors continue to swirl that a reboot of the original books in a TV format — so much so, that original movie stars like Rupert Grint have started to be asked they’d return to the franchise if it was rebooted.
“I’d love to see ‘Harry Potter’ be adapted into a TV show,” Rupert said to GQ Magazine UK . “I think it would really work. I’m sure the films will get remade, anyway.” As for if he’d actually star in the series, himself, that he was less enthusiastic about. “I think there’d be a feeling of passing the baton,” he added, “letting someone else play Ron. It’s weird because I’m protective over him, I could relate to him so much, and then I was picked to bring him to life. That’s hard to let go. But it would be nice to, as well.”
While Rupert may be on the fence to play Ron again, Ralph Fiennes, who brought the evil Lord Voldemort to life in the movies, admitted he’s 100% play the character again if given the chance. “Sure, of course,” Ralph told Variety in November 2022 when asked if he wants to play Voldy again. “No question about it.”
Fantastic Beasts 4th Film
The Fantastic Beasts film series, written and produced by J.K., takes place before the events of the main Harry Potter flicks. The first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, was released in November 2016 and starred Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Johnny Depp, and more. It was followed by 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, released in theaters on April 15, 2022 amid the franchise being drowned in controversy. Mads Mikkelsen stepped in to replace Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, after his court battle with ex Amber Heard met its pique. This, paired with the aforementioned outrage over Rowling’s views on the trans community and star Ezra Miller running into his own trouble made it nearly impossible for the cast to promote the film and stars like Jude Law were instead limited to just attending red carpet fan events.
It was originally the plan for the Fantastic Beast movies to carry on for 5 films, culminating with the epic battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. However, given the poor performance of The Secrets Of Dumbledore at the box office, as of January 2023, no word on another film as come through, not even to the stars. “I mean, at the moment, there’s nothing that I’m aware of,” Eddie Redmayne told NME in an interview about the next movie. “So, as I’m aware, it’s not something that’s on the cards.”
Harry Potter & The Cursed Child — A Movie?
The Harry Potter universe also includes the 2016 British play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which follows Harry’s son, Albus Severus Potter, who is about to attend Hogwarts. The play premiered in London in July 2016, and then came to Broadway in New York in April 2018. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Play, in 2018. There are now productions across the globe, including Australia.
So what about a movie based on the play? It seems to be the most logical continuation of the franchise on screen and if the studio wanted it, they’d have a director ready, willing and able at the ready in Chris Columbus, the director of the first two Harry Potter films. “I still fantasize about directing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with the original cast,” Chris admitted in our EXCLUSIVE interview. “ I think it would be, from a nostalgic point of view and also from a fans point of view, a thrill to see our actors at their ages now playing these roles. There is just something touching about that. It is kind of like what J.J.[Abrams] did with Star Wars and why that was so wonderful.
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Source link Hollywood is one of the most vibrant industries in the world, having produced some of the biggest stars, films, and franchises in existence. Each year, dozens of new films and television shows are released, each hoping to be a blockbuster hit or a crossover success. Today, let’s take a look at what the entertainment industry has in store for us this year.
For fans of action films, this year has no shortage of thrilling movies to check out. The highly-anticipated sequel to the hit Marvel film ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is set to release on April 26th and will kick off what is sure to be an action-packed summer. We can also look forward to films such as ‘Fast & Furious 9’, ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’, and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, among many others.
For those who love animation, this year is also full of exciting releases. Dreamworks’ ‘Trolls World Tour’ will be released on digital outlets April 10th and is sure to bring joy to children and adults alike. Other films to watch out for include Disney’s ‘Onward’, ‘Soul’, and Pixar’s ‘Luca’.
In terms of television, there are plenty of exciting new shows coming out this year. From Apple TV+’s upcoming musical comedy ‘Songbird’, to HBO’s highly-anticipated ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel ‘House of the Dragon’, there’s something for every taste.
2020 is sure to be a great year for Hollywood life. With countless films and television shows set to hit the small and silver screens, it’s no wonder people are getting more and more excited for what’s to come.
