Special Feature - Warner Bros

Magic moments

A franchise of seemingly unstoppable momentum, Wizarding World is pushing back its robe-sleeves for a spellbinding year packed with new content, magical experiences and products that will continue to bring this fantastical world to life for fans. Rachel Wakley, Warner Bros. general manager, tells Toy World why, more than ever before, fans should have their wands at the ready.

How has the Wizarding World franchise performed over the past 18 months?

The Wizarding World franchise continues to perform strongly, with the momentum showing no signs of abating. It’s testament to the strength of the franchise and the creativity and engagement from our partners who continue to deliver incredible product for our fans young and old. We really felt we saw the true power of the Wizarding World come through in the last 18 months; a property that in times of struggle offers fans a sense of escapism from the reality, an opportunity to relive their favourite moments and in many cases pass on those memories to new fans coming into the franchise for the first time. A lot of that success was within toys, including our amazing Lego Harry Potter ranges and the great breadth of products across games and puzzles, as families found new ways to entertain themselves and their families at home.

What new developments are coming through for 2022?

We have so much more to come across all of our consumer product areas. From a toys perspective, we’ll have further development from partners across all subcategories and will continue to work hand-in-hand with top brands such as Lego, Mattel and Wow! Stuff to unveil new and exciting Wizarding World lines and collections. As for new content, we have two major releases; a film and a game, that will be sure to generate incredible excitement amongst fans. The first is the film release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, now announced to be releasing on the 8th of April in the UK. The third instalment is sure to be a real fan favourite. The second major release of 2022 will be for a new console game: Hogwarts Legacy. The reaction to the trailer for this has been amazing and it looks set to be a huge success. We know that gaming is such an important part of the market and one that we had to be involved in. From what we’ve seen, the launch will be well worth the wait and will deliver a unique way for fans to interact with the franchise.

With consumers hungry for experiences and events, how big a role do you think the Leavesden Studio Tour and retail activations will play in the UK’s return to normality?

The Wizarding World is a unique property for many reasons. One which really drives the franchise and grows our fan engagement is the experiences fans can immerse themselves in. This is not a brand solely reliant on new films or TV shows, this franchise is about allowing fans to explore their favourite locations, their favourite scenes and their favourite moments that mean something to them. To be able to re-open Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter; Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature exhibition at the Natural History Museum; Platform 9 ¾ stores; Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience and many of the other new experiences that we’re working on is incredibly important to us. It’s then really about bringing aspects of these moments to life at retail for our customers and making sure we continue to surprise fans through our activations in store and online. Our team is already working on landing this for next year, whilst ensuring the campaigns we have in place for this holiday season are realising their full potential.

Are retailers as supportive of Wizarding World as they ever were?

Absolutely. Our retail partners play such a vital role in connecting our fans with the franchise and we will continue to deliver best in class product and activations to grow that presence across all retailers. We hope that they continue to be rewarded with excellent product and with strong rates of sale that should only improve as we move into next year given the strength of the range being delivered by our partners and the power of our content slate.

The first movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. What’s behind the extraordinary momentum the franchise has maintained across the decades?

It’s almost surreal that Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out 20 years ago. Many of us can think back to seeing that first film at the cinema - and it certainly doesn’t feel that long ago. These are inherently creative stories that resonate with audiences of all ages across the globe. Creativity is at the heart of everything connected to the Wizarding World. From the partners who continue to deliver exceptional products which surprise and delight, to the experiences that bring the magic of the Wizarding World to life, everything we create and develop has to be relevant to fans. It’s about doing what’s right instead of what is easy. Ultimately, it’s the fans themselves that are the true drivers of the franchise’s success: the Wizarding World fan community is exceptional, and its passion seems grows year after year. It’s our job to find ways to help them harness that passion by creating products and experiences that will create new and lasting memories.