With Discovery now calling the shots, Warner Bros. is looking to boost earnings by revisiting some of its most profitable franchises. That explains the renewed focus on the DC Universe (which has been struggling for a while now) and the recent news that we're getting more movies set in the world of The Lord of the Rings.
During a recent investor conference (via SFFGazette.com), Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels was asked when we can actually expect to return to Middle-earth.
"David [Zaslav] made a promise, quote-unquote, very early on to revitalize some of that iconic, tentpole IP and we’re starting to make progress," he responded, largely evading the question. "It’s exciting to see how people are coming in and out and how the creative community is embracing this opportunity to work with us. That’s going to bear fruit, over time."
It's previously been reported that these movies will focus on established characters from the original trilogy like Aragorn and Gandalf, news which was met with a mixed response from fans.
Another fantasy franchise we can anticipate being revisited in some fashion, of course, is Harry Potter.
Hot off the heels of video game Hogwarts Legacy's massive success, Wiedenfels strongly hinted Warner Bros. is mulling over other ways to expand the franchise, stoking the flames of rumours that we're getting either a movie based on The Cursed Child or some sort of remake.
"The fact that we are enjoying this massive success with the ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ launch, 12 years after the last film came out, shows that there is so much opportunity and we’re only just starting to expand that."
"We’ve got the new ‘Harry Potter’ tour coming up in Tokyo in the middle of the year," he continues. "Long story short, I think this one-company approach, great leadership in the individual business units, but coordinated franchise management is probably one of the biggest opportunities the company has."
We'll see what happens, but only time will tell whether revisiting The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter is going to pay off for the studio.