2023-04-18 19:10:37
After seven novels, eight films of more than two hours each, a musical, many video games and goodies to no longer know what to do with, the adventures of Harry Potter will soon be adapted into series. The icing on the cake of the multimedia exploitation of the franchise, the Warner Bros Discovery group has formalized the rumors and rumors that have been circulating for a few days in a trailer posted Wednesday, April 12 on social media. In addition, the group took the opportunity to announce the launch of its new platform named Max, which merges HBO Max and Discovery +.
On the program, Max therefore plans a season by a novel – seven in all – spread over a decade. The platform also promises a new cast. Asked about accusations of transphobia aimed at JK Rowling, executive producer of the future series, HBO CEO Casey Bloys dismissed the questions, warning that the priority “this is what will be on the screen”, and rejoiced to give “to the public the opportunity to experience Hogwarts in a whole new way.” “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and there is no doubt that the love and thirst for the wizarding world cannot be denied,” he still abounds in the press release, barely shaken by the wave of boycotts that followed the release of the video game Hogwarts Legacy.
Bait, big fish and big money
If according to Max, the series will want to be faithful to the universe imagined by JK Rowling, the sorcerer’s apprentice promises above all to bring big money to the platform. Remember, however, that the global success that the saga experienced during its film adaptation has already brought in nearly 7.7 billion dollars between 2001 and 2011.
Moreover, listing its announcements over the days, HBO announced, Monday, April 17 – and always on the occasion of the presentation of Max – the launch of a prequel to Game of Thrones. In short, two big fish as loss leaders (including bait) of the new platform. A strategy which, for Guillaume Pommier, co-director of international distribution at Federation Studios, “is above all a way for broadcasters to be reassured in a hypercompetitive market.” Because bet on Harry Potter, it’s betting on a solid community of fans whose flame you have to perpetually feed, but it’s also being able to rely on the success of the books and films that preceded the publication of the series. The thrill and less risk-taking.
“It’s especially a shame for the original creation”
«Çbrought the sector and the producers to life, and above all, it maintains an ecosystem that we need more than anything, comments Guillaume Pommier. Especially since to attract viewers to their platforms, the big broadcasters are looking for strong brands, and if possible that already exist”, he justifies. And in the case of Harry Potter, it’s the perfect way for Max to reach out to multiple generations, who grew up with the books and movies, while trying to win over new followers. An effective strategy therefore, especially to launch a new platform in search of subscriptions. And if the purists are not convinced by the new opuses? Nothing serious, since once on Max, they can always switch to the rest of the available content.
“It’s especially a shame for the original creation”, nevertheless deplores Guillaume Pommier. Even if, in this regard, he remains optimistic: “Beyond big distributors, the world is not polarized between franchises and original productions.” For example, he mentions the success of the adaptation of the Israeli format ofIn Therapy, or the series HPIwhich climbed into the top 20 of the Médiamétrie ranking of the best audiences in 2022. A creation which brought together more than 12 million viewers, a record since 2005, and this while “the competition was far from the same at the time.” Proof that success is not necessarily due to the big-budget series-shows, nor to the spells and dragons that populate the corridors of Hogwarts and the cliffs of Winterfell.
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