Harry Potter was one of the biggest and most successful franchises of the 2000s. The eight films have enchanted a generation of moviegoers and readers who grew with Harry from childhood into adulthood. They hold a special place for the characters and the story in their hearts. Since the Fantastic Beasts spin-off isn't faring as well as a continuation of the franchise, filmmakers may look into possible future adaptations that include the return of the original trio of Harry, Hermione and Ron.
With the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play being such a huge Broadway success, one might think it's only a matter of time before a movie adaptation comes along that includes Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint returning to the Wizarding World. The play takes place 19 years after the Deathly Hallows, the same time portrayed in the original story’s epilogue when Harry, Hermione and Ron see their children off to their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Back in November, Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets director Chris Columbus showed interest in returning one more time to direct a film adaptation of The Cursed Child. It would be fitting for him to bring the franchise back, given that his was the first cinematic vision of Harry Potter, later inspiring the subsequent chapters. But while he may seem enthusiastic about the idea, Warner Brothers currently holds no plan to adapt the two-part play.
Another player who’s also not inclined to return to the role is Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. For now, at least. In an interview, Radcliffe explained that he’s "never going to say never, but the Star Wars guys had like 30, 40 years before they went back. For me, it’s only been 10. It’s not something I’m really interested in doing right now." Since The Cursed Child takes place 19 years after the last confrontation with Voldemort, just like the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 epilogue, a whole new set of sequels could happen sometime between 2030 and 2040. Time would build enough nostalgia among fans and the principal cast, not to mention enough time to thoroughly write a proper story.
It could take the form of a trilogy, a new saga of movies or even a TV series. Like Radcliffe points out, Star Wars is a perfect example of how a franchise expanded into three trilogies and new television series. The way Hollywood works and how many times life can be given back into a franchise, story or superhero points in that direction. One can probably assume it’s only a matter of time before enough pressure leads to the return of the beloved Harry Potter characters to the screen.
In the meantime, fans will have to settle for the third chapter of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, The Secrets of Dumbledore, which opens in theaters on April 15th.