It is very interesting to note how the “Harry Potter” franchise, spanning books, movies, games, merchandise and more, has successfully captivated audiences and fans more than one could possibly imagine. Even its author, J. K. Rowling, may not have expected this to happen. It seems that people are drawn to its theme, which is about witchcraft and wizardry. They love magic, don’t they?
The first Harry Potter book, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” was published in 1997, and since then, it has created such a massive fan base that other works of literature could not topple. According to statistics on the website Gitnux, more than 500 million “Harry Potter” books have been sold worldwide. This is just a testament to the Harry Potter series’ immense and continuously growing popularity.
But though the series ended with the seventh and last book, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which was adapted into a movie that comprised of two parts (that’s how the fans love Harry Potter), the “Harry Potter” franchise has continued to expand, with events and timelines that span before and after the main “Harry Potter” series.
For instance, after the last book in the series, a play inspired by “Harry Potter,” titled “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, was shown in July 2016. After this, in November 2016, a “Harry Potter” spin-off movie, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” was screened in November 2016 and still is projected to continue in the future, according to speculations. Finally, there are also games that even further expand the franchise, such as “Hogwarts Legacy,” which was released earlier this year.
The Timeline Of The Harry Potter Universe
Though the various “Harry Potter” works and media have been released in the order discussed earlier, they cover a timeline that, interestingly, spans over 100 years. If we are going to follow this timeline, the first will be “Hogwarts Legacy,” followed by “Fantastic Beasts,” followed by the main “Harry Potter” series, and finally, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
‘Hogwarts Legacy’: 100 Years Before The Events Of The First ‘Harry Potter’ Book
Developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games under its Portkey Games label, “Hogwarts Legacy” is an action role-playing game that takes place in the late 1800s, a century before the events chronicled in the “Harry Potter” novels, which are set in the 1990s.
Though the story of this game is not crucial for understanding the main events of the entire “Harry Potter” franchise, “Hogwarts Legacy” deepens the interest and love for the series and its worlds.
‘Fantastic Beasts’: From 1926 To 1945
Next up is “Fantastic Beasts.” It may be a movie released years after the last “Harry Potter” film from the main series was shown, but it takes viewers several decades back. A spin-off prequel to the “Harry Potter” novel and film series, “Fantastic Beasts” has had three movies so far: “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.” In the novel, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is actually a book wizarding students use in the Hogwarts school talking about magical creatures in that world.
“Fantastic Beasts,” in the movie, in particular, takes place beginning in 1926 when Newt Scamander, a wizard, famed Magizoologist (a wizard or witch studying magical creatures) and the author of the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” book, has just completed a global excursion to find and document an array of magical creatures, but, is met with more obstacles in the wizarding world where he is in.
The Main ‘Harry Potter’ Books And Films: From 1991 To 1998
Then, the events in the main “Harry Potter” books and movies took place. Set between 1991 to 1998, their stories follow Harry Potter, who embarks on a fantastic journey after learning that he is a wizard on his 11th birthday.
Throughout his schooling in Hogwarts, Harry encounters various threats from various enemies, with the biggest one being Lord Voldemort. After years of conflicts, sacrifices, and adventures, Harry is finally able to stop and defeat Lord Voldemort with help from his friends and mentors.
‘Harry Potter And The Cursed Child’: 19 Years After ‘Deathly Hallows’
Fans could not get enough of “Harry Potter” and seemingly didn’t want to see it end, so the author penned a play inspired by the series, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
Its story is set 19 years after the events of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” It follows Harry Potter, now the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, with his son, Albus Severus Potter, who is about to start his first year of schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though it is not part of the series of novels, Rowling referred to this play as “the eighth ‘Harry Potter’ story.”
In Conclusion
The massive success of the “Harry Potter” franchise is an indicator that, even though the book series has ended, it is showing no signs of stopping, or ending. Perhaps, there will be more materials inspired by it that will be created in the future, not just movies and games like “Hogwarts Legacy,” that will further ignite the interest in magic and the Wizarding World.
