Warner Bros. has appointed Tom Ascheim to oversee all of the company's Harry Potter projects. His responsibilities will include not only film projects, but overseeing all Wizarding World properties including theme park locations, and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play.
Ascheim, who is also president of kids, young adults, and classics with WarnerMedia, will also serve as representative of the company in relations with Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. The announcement that came Thursday and was reported by Variety didn't include any future plans for the Harry Potter franchise, but the current Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series is ongoing with the next film planned for 2022.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has been a subject of controversy for multiple reasons in recent years. The Harry Potter prequel originally starred Johnny Depp as the character of Grindelwald, however following his failed libel lawsuit with Britain's The Sun he was let go from the series. The case was born out of a very intense divorce between Depp and his ex-wife actress Amber Heard, where there were allegations of physical abuse against both parties. Fans and supporters of Depp were extremely angry when he was let go from Fantastic Beasts amid this controversy.
J.K. Rowling has also been a source of criticism, getting into hot water over many comments on social media that appear to be transphobic. She has implied that transgender women can be a threat to the livelihoods of cisgender women, and even featured a serial killer who is a cisgender man that dresses as a woman to stalk his victims in her latest novel Troubled Blood. Fans of Harry Potter were very disappointed and confused by her stance on the issue, with many of them boycotting the franchise.
Despite the controversy, Harry Potter is undoubtedly still very widely loved and very successful, and Ascheim himself claims that he's a longtime fan. “I’m honored to now be leading the very talented individuals and teams who have done such a great job in growing this brand and its meaning and value to fans everywhere," he says. "I look forward to going even further in exploring and expanding all of the opportunities we have in this incredible world.”
Source: Variety