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Warner Bros. has appointed Tom Ascheim, president of the studio for children, young adults and classics, to run its lucrative Wizarding World and Harry Potter franchise.
WarnerMedia Studios and Networks group president Ann Sarnoff made it official today and Ascheim will report directly to her. He will add his oversight of the Wizarding World franchise, which includes theme parks, tours and the $ 9.1 billion theatrical library spanning the Harry potter and fallout Fantastic beasts securities.
That said, the Fantastic beasts the movies will still be managed by Warner Bros. Pictures Group, video games based on the franchise will continue to be managed by Warner Bros. Games and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and its upcoming sister park in Tokyo will continue to be managed by Worldwide Studio Operations.
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It should be noted that Ascheim will be the main representative of WarnerMedia in its relationship with Harry potter and wizarding world architect JK Rowling and his representatives, Agent Neil Blair with Creative Director James McKnight at the Blair Partnership, to tap into the series through emerging opportunities and existing businesses. Ascheim will also seek to improve the universe of content related to the Wizarding World property for the various points of sale and partner platforms of the Studio. While Disney has spinoff series on its streaming platform for Star wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, HBO Max would do well to land a Harry potter derivative series.
In managing the WW / HP global franchise, Ascheim will work closely with Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences, led by Pam Lifford, who serves as Division President. GBE will continue its work of developing and executing the experiential components of the franchise, which includes working with third party partners to create theme park attractions, live events and experiences, licensing, and consumer products.
In the universe of the wizarding world, there is the third (out of five) Fantastic beasts movies being filmed at Warner Bros. Leavesden Studios. On hold during the pandemic is the massive global production of two-part games Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which represents the eighth story created by Rowling, with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany and producers Colin Callender and Sonia Friedman.
This global Harry Potter franchise development team was founded in 2014 and was previously overseen by Josh Berger, who stepped down from his executive responsibilities late last year. HPGFD team members will now be part of the Global Brands and Experiences team.
“In Harry Potter and the Wizarding World, we have a franchise and iconic characters who have become a beloved part of the lives of millions of people around the world,” Sarnoff said. “This new direction of the franchise underlines its enormous importance to Warner Bros. and the myriad of opportunities we see to continue to engage and delight fans of all ages around the world. I am delighted that Tom is leading our efforts and counting on him and his team to work across the company to discover innovative and creative ways to keep the wizarding world fresh and relevant for years to come.
Said Ascheim: “I have been a huge Harry Potter fan for years and an admiring observer of the management of the Wizarding World franchise. I am honored to now lead the very talented individuals and teams who have done a great job in developing this brand, its meaning and its value to fans around the world. I look forward to going even further in exploring and expanding all of the opportunities we have in this amazing world.
The Wizarding World also includes three theme parks on two continents (Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences in partnership with Universal Studios Hollywood, Orlando and Osaka, and an upcoming park in Beijing), the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (with Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo scheduled to open in 2023) and the Harry Potter: The Exhibition Tour which includes artifacts from the franchise. There’s also the Portkey Games label which is responsible for cutting-edge video games, and the Wizarding World Digital news and publishing portal. Let’s not forget the range of toys and consumer products either. The Platform 9 ¾ store (Kings Cross, Heathrow and Gatwick airports) and Harry Potter New York (opening 2021) offer unique and immersive retail / entertainment experiences from the series.
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