Warner Bros. find themselves in a tricky situation when it comes to expanding the Wizarding World, although it’s still an enviable one to be in given the franchise’s status as a pop culture behemoth that boasts a global fanbase spanning multiple generations.
Fans would love to see plenty more adventures set in the world, they’re just not sold on the people behind it. For instance, the news that HBO Max were actively inviting pitches for Harry Potter TV shows would have usually sparked joyous celebrations, but the continued backlash against creator J.K. Rowling has tempered the excitement somewhat.
On the big screen, meanwhile, the Fantastic Beasts series was already facing an inquest after The Crimes of Grindelwald became the worst performing entry in the entire franchise from both a critical and commercial perspective, while it now faces the threat of a boycott as Johnny Depp was asked to resign as Grindelwald before being swiftly replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.
It seemed unthinkable just a couple of years ago that the Wizarding World would generate so much negativity, but that’s hardly going to stop the studio from monetizing the property, and we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us the Joker was getting a new look in Justice League long before it was confirmed – that discussions have taken place over a limited series focused on Mikkelsen’s Grindelwald.
There’s no word on whether the project is one of the pitches currently being taken for HBO Max, and it would no doubt go down like a lead balloon with Johnny Depp supporters, but imagining something along the lines of Mikkelsen’s Hannibal set in the Wizarding World with less cannibalism and more magical fantasy sounds like it could make for some great television should it end up getting off the ground and coming to fruition.
