Warner Bros. appointed Tom Ascheim, president of the studio for Children, Young Adults and Classics, to manage his lucrative franchise Mundo Mágico and Harry Potter.
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 Mundo Mágico franchise, which includes theme parks, rides and the $ 9.1 billion revenue library that covers the Harry Potter and spinoff Fantastic animals titles.
That said, the Fantastic animals the films will still be managed by Warner Bros. Pictures Group, franchise-based video games will continue to be managed by Warner Bros. Games and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and its next sister park in Tokyo will continue to be managed by Worldwide Studio Operations.
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Noteworthy, Ascheim will be WarnerMedia’s senior representative in his relationship with Harry Potter and Wizarding World architect JK Rowling and her representatives, Agent Neil Blair with Creative Director James McKnight of The Blair Partnership, to explore the series on emerging opportunities and existing businesses. Ascheim will also seek to enhance the universe of content related to the Wizarding World property for Studio’s various vehicles and platform partners. Although Disney has a series of spinoffs on its streaming platform for Star Wars and the Marvel cinematic universe, HBO Max would do well to get a Harry Potter spinoff series.
In managing the global WW / HP franchise, Ascheim will work closely with Warner Bros. Global Brands and Experiences, led by Pam Lifford, who serves as the division’s 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, events and live experiences, licensing and consumer products.
Within the universe of the Wizarding World, there is the third (out of five) Fantastic animals films currently being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. On hold during the pandemic is massive global production of two parts of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, representing the eighth story created by Rowling, along with Jack Thorne and John Tiffany and producers Colin Callender and Sonia Friedman.
This Harry Potter global franchise development team was founded in 2014 and was previously overseen by Josh Berger, who left his executive responsibilities 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 an iconic franchise and characters that have become a beloved part of the lives of millions of people around the world,” said Sarnoff. “This new management of the franchise highlights its enormous importance for Warner Bros. and the countless opportunities we see to continue to engage and delight fans of all ages around the world. I am excited that Tom is leading our efforts and I hope that he and his team will work across the company to discover innovative and creative ways to keep the Wizarding World up to date and relevant for years to come. “
Said Ascheim: “I’ve been an avid Harry Potter fan for years and an admired observer of how the Wizarding World franchise has been run. I am honored to now lead very talented individuals and teams who have done a great job in growing this brand and its meaning and value to fans everywhere. I look forward to going even further in exploring and expanding all the opportunities we have in this incredible world. “
The Magic 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 the next park in Beijing), Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter (with Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo scheduled to debut in 2023), and the Harry Potter: The Exhibition tour that includes artifacts from the franchise. There is also the record company Portkey Games, responsible for the latest generation video games, and the digital news and publication portal Wizarding World Digital. We cannot forget about the line of toys and consumer products. Platform 9 ¾ Shop (Kings Cross, Heathrow and Gatwick airports) and Harry Potter New York (opening 2021) offer unique and engaging retail / entertainment experiences in the series.