The UK’s Daily Mail has a “scoop“. According to Alison Boshoff who seems to concentrate entertainment and celebrity articles, her sources in London have confirmed that a deal was struck six months ago and writers are currently working on the project. Current rumours have been sparked by the change a of management at Warner Bros, now led by David Zaslav, however:
The company’s corporate spokesman refuses, rather aggressively, to comment on any ‘private meetings’ which Zaslav (known as ‘Zas’) may have had. All most peculiar, given that the ‘meeting’ would concern the largest asset Warner has — the intellectual property (IP) covering all things boy wizard — and would thus not really be personal at all. Rowling controls the Potter ‘IP’, and every decision has to come through her, whether it’s about merchandising, theme parks, video games or anything else.
Warner has been criticized in the past for providing limited support for J. K. Rowling, however in the aftermath of the latest threat to her, the new management were quick to issue a supportive statement.
‘Warner Bros Discovery strongly condemns the threats made against J.K. Rowling. We stand with her and all the authors, storytellers and creators who bravely express their creativity and opinions . . . the company strongly condemns any form of threat, violence or intimidation when opinions, beliefs and thoughts might differ.’
I have a ‘rule of thumb’ that any anonymous source used by the Daily Mail celebrity pages are largely fictitious. Is the world yet ready for a non Rowling written spin-off? (Fantastic Beasts 3 not withstanding). Let me know you thoughts down below.
On the basis of JKR’s sources, one could make a sort of Dr. Who analogous Pernelle and Nicolas Flamel series – without any connection to her Wizarding World, but it would be fun (if well done) to have a WW-tie in. What varieties of oversight and/or co-authorship might she be able to have, in the latter case? (Not to assume it would be well done, though conceivably it could be…)