The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has had a very busy year. Finally, after waiting five years since the last movie came out, fans have been treated to both a stage play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the start of a new film series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. However, there have been mixed responses among the fans in regards to the material being put out by JK Rowling.
Most people expect fans to be overwhelmingly excited. They look forward to the new additions to the franchise as a way to continually experience the magic in new ways. They are so invested in the stories that they are willing to simply read the script of a stage play or watch five movies and follow the story of how one of Harry Potter’s textbooks was written. They appreciate Jo and her work, and they look forward reading and watching more of her work.
On the other hand, some fans are upset about the continued expansion of the franchise. They believe that the Harry Potter universe only consists of what is written in the first seven books. They think that the continued content production by JK Rowling will not only never live up to the original books but will also diminish the quality of the books. They fear that Rowling will not know when to stop and will attempt to write in the wizarding world until there is no more new material that can be squeezed out of it.
The second group has legitimate concerns. Maybe one thing that makes the Harry Potter series so special is its limited scope. The current franchise consists of seven books and eight movies. Perhaps as the franchise extends beyond that, the quality of the content will go down and people will get tired of the magic that they have come to know and love. I find myself among the first group of people. The Harry Potter series is more than just books or movies to me. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II was my first midnight movie premiere, and I’ve had amazing, in-depth conversations about which Hogwarts house I would be in. To me, Harry Potter equals good memories. It’s something I love, and I am excited to see the franchise expand to include what life after the death of Voldemort is like. I want to know what wizarding culture was like in America during the 1920s. I’ll be honest, they probably won’t be nearly as good as the books or movies, but I am excited for the magic to continue.
