It’s been 10 years since the last movie in the Harry Potter series, and fans have been waiting patiently for more content. On September 15, 2019, Warner Bros. will finally give the fans what they want with the premiere of the much-anticipated Fantastic Beasts sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The story of the second movie follows the adventures of Newt Scamander (Pattinson) as he searches for a way to prevent his former colleagues, the Aurors, from killing him. With the help of an ally named Albus Dumbledore (JK Rowling), they try to find a way to stop the most dangerous person in modern society from being put to death. The film’s international premiere will be in Venice at the legendary Cinerama Dome. You can read our review of the film here. While we were disappointed with some of the film’s plot points, it was still an amazing cinematic experience. And now, with more than a decade between installments, we get to see how much the world has changed.
The 10-year wait for more Harry Potter goodness is over, and fans are ecstatic about the opportunity to see the characters they love from JK Rowling’s books again. While many fans will be happy to see the familiar faces, there are a few things they need to know before going into the theaters.
10-Year Gap Between Movies
It’s been more than 10 years since the last Harry Potter movie, and fans have been eagerly anticipating the much-hyped return of the magical fantasy series. In September 2019, Warner Bros. will give the fans what they want with the premiere of the much-anticipated second movie in the Fantastic Beasts series. While we were excited about finally seeing more from Newt Scamander and his case of unusual critters, we were a little let down by the fact that it has been 10 years since the last Harry Potter movie. You can never have too many wizards at your beck and call, but we’re certain that some fans will bemoan the long hiatus. Of course, the fact that it’s been so long since the last Potter installment makes it all the more special when we do finally get to see more. To put things into perspective, here’s a look at the historical significance of each Potter movie compared to its respective decade.
Looking back at 2002’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the first installment of the series, we see a very different world from the one we know today. It was the start of a new era in technology, and the movie quite literally predicted the rise of the smartphone. It also featured young stars with impressive talent, including Michael Caine, Dame Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, and, of course, JK Rowling herself. The special effects were groundbreaking for their time and still hold up today. Thanks to the movie’s enduring popularity, it was one of the highest-grossing films of its day and kicked off a golden era of box-office success for Warner Bros.
In the following decade, we would witness the incredible success of the Spiderman series and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which would eventually bring about the cinematic rebirth of the Wizarding World. In 2018 alone, the Harry Potter series would gross more than $13 billion at the worldwide box office, further cementing its status as one of the most profitable entertainment franchises of all time. In the decade between 2009 and 2019, the series would become even more prominent, amassing an estimated total of over 500 million views on YouTube, the most-viewed franchise channel on the platform. The franchise would even go on to become the most-subscribed channel of all time on YouTube with over 54 million subscribers.
When it comes to the 2020s, we are already entering the second decade of the new millennium, and the Harry Potter series is looking better than ever. With the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts 2 and the recently-announced Fantastic Beasts 3, we can expect even more excitement surrounding the magical franchise. And as we’ve learned from previous installments, even though it’s been 10 years since the last movie, that doesn’t mean the adventures of Harry Potter and co. come to an end. We just have to patiently wait until next year to see what will happen in the next installment of the Fantastic Beasts series.
No More Baby-Sitting
While many fans will be excited to see more of Newt Scamander and his magical world, others might bemoan the fact that he’s no longer a child. In the first Fantastic Beasts movie, Newt Scamander is given the unofficial role of honorary parent to Baby Albus, the son of Dumbledore and his wife, Ginny. The young wizard is allowed to roam the globe freely, providing babysitting services to protect Albus from harm. It’s a role that Scamander takes very seriously and does his best to uphold. After so many years of waiting, fans will finally get to see how much effort goes into taking care of a child. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Scamander is accompanied by his three magical beasts – the iconic Hedwig the owl and her two rat cousins, along with the gigantic, sloth-like, blue creature – Nagual.
In the decade between 2001 and 2011, it was commonplace for parents to let their kids watch R-rated films as part of their development. These days, due to the rise of the “family-friendly” category and the growing influence of social media, parents are much more likely to keep their children away from films with adult themes and coarse language. Even so, there are still plenty of opportunities for kids to see movies with some adult rating content. For instance, you could show them a film with a PG-13 rating, explain to them what the content is, and then allow them to make their own decisions about whether or not to watch it. It’s not that big of a deal.
A Whole Different World
While technology has transformed our world in so many ways, one of the biggest changes is the way we communicate with each other. When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released in 2001, it was an era before smartphones and social media. Email, text messaging, and instant messaging were the primary means of digital communication, with people connecting over physical connections such as landlines and computers. Looking back on this time period, we can see how much it has changed.
Before the start of the new millennium, very few homes had more than one television. People tended to only watch what was shown on free-to-air channels, with premium cable becoming a luxury reserved for special events and movie premieres. While it’s been a while since the last Harry Potter movie, we are already seeing the influence of social media in popular culture. From TikTok to YouTube, content creators can release short-form content that is both entertaining and educational. With so much competition, creativity, and innovation, it isn’t hard to see how the Harry Potter series would find its way into this new era of entertainment.
Why Albus Instead of Lucius?
Lucius Verus is the father of Albus Dumbledore and the former Minister of Magic. For a time, he was considered the greatest wizard the world had ever seen. Thanks to his efforts, Voldemort – the world’s most dangerous monster at the time – was defeated and imprisoned for so long that his body slowly deteriorated and had to be released into a nursing home. While on the surface, Dumbledore appears to be a fitting choice for the father of the greatest wizard the world has ever known, it was actually an attempt to keep the series’ lore accurate to what happened in the novels. For years, JK Rowling had resisted doing any adaptations of the Harry Potter books, wanting to stick as close to the original stories as possible. However, with the rise of the tween and teen markets, along with the influence of social media, she realized that she needed to make some adjustments to keep up with the times. She decided to give in to the inevitable and make some changes to the character of Albus Dumbledore.
One of the first things we see when Albus Dumbledore is introduced is that he is a widower. In the books, it is heavily implied that Lucius had an affair with a witch named Bathilda Bagshot, which resulted in the child they never had. Given this, Dumbledore is understandably a little bit annoyed when he learns that his son is dating a Muggle. Even so, his annoyance is mostly just a façade. Dumbledore is a father figure that Albus needs and respects. He encourages him to embrace his true potential and be a great wizard, knowing full well that he has what it takes to be a great wizard. While that may be a little bit different than some fans expected, it’s still very close to the character that JK Rowling created.