Given the continued popularity of the franchise, even in the wake of creator J.K. Rowling’s continued controversies, almost every single fan has resigned themselves to the fact Warner Bros. are inevitably going to reboot Harry Potter one day.
However, nobody really expected it to happen for a while, given that the Fantastic Beasts sequels were there to theoretically pick up the slack, tide audiences over, and give them their fix of the Wizarding World. Based on comments made by CEO David Zaslav yesterday, though, the worst nightmare for many Potterheads could be happening a lot sooner than expected.
Not only did Zaslav effectively hammer the final nail into the coffin of Fantastic Beasts, but he also came right out and admitted that he wanted more Harry Potter films. Given that it’s been well over a decade since the two-part Deathly Hallows rounded out the eight-film original saga (not 15 as the arithmetic-deficient executive would have you believe), the fear of a full-blown reboot has suddenly loomed large over the fandom.
Of course, there’s always the possibility that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child could be adapted with many of the original stars returning, but Daniel Radcliffe hardly seems to be all that interested. Emma Watson hasn’t been spotted onscreen for a long time, either, but you’d expect a substantial pile of cash would help soften the stance of just about anyone.
It could be a case of goodbye Fantastic Beasts, hello again Harry Potter, and you can guarantee the backlash would be immense were it to be announced officially at any stage in the not-too-distant future.