All eight Harry Potter movies will return to HBO Max for streaming next month. The film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s famous novels garnered huge box office results and critical acclaim on their original release. The final installment in the franchise celebrated its ten-year anniversary last month, so fans are more nostalgic than ever for the Boy Who Lived.
When HBO Max first launched in May 2020, the Harry Potter films were originally part of the all-star streaming line-up. However, fans were later told that they would only be available for three months due to a deal Warner Bros. had cut with NBCUniversal. The timing of this announcement came around the moment J. K. Rowling became embroiled in a controversy regarding her statements on transgender people. However, the streamer confirmed that the removal of the movies from its platform was related to licensing terms only.
According to Variety, the Harry Potter movies will be returning to HBO Max on September 1. This comes a little less than a year after the films moved off the platform for NBCUniversal's Peacock streamer. As part of the streamer’s collaboration with Warner Bros., HBO Max will welcome two new theatrical films next month. These are James Wan’s new horror Malignant and Clint Eastwood’s Western Cry Macho. Other well-known titles headed to HBO Max include Mad Max: Fury Road, video game adaptation Mortal Kombat, and Oscar-winner Promising Young Woman.
HBO Max will be very excited for the Chosen One to return to their service. The movies remain a huge draw and will boost the platform in the fierce streaming wars. WarnerMedia’s revenue surged in the second quarter of this year, and HBO Max has topped 47 million subscribers in the United States. In contrast, Peacock has floundered in its launch, botching its coverage of the Olympics, which it had hoped would bolster its numbers. The service reported 42 million users, but it's important to note that this number may not reflect paid subscribers.
The Harry Potter franchise has very complicated rights issues. Back in 2016, NBCUniversal cut a seven-year rights deal for the Wizarding World franchise. This deal included cable and streaming rights for the movies, as well as theme park content and events. Earlier this year, chatter about a Harry Potter TV series in development at HBO Max excited some fans, but others were quick to point out the franchise’s exclusivity with NBCUniversal. With this new announcement, talk of a new TV adaptation may begin to resurface. Fans may be turning to their Remembrall to understand this news.
Source: Variety