The Harry Potter franchise has become one of the most successful movie franchises of all time, and it all started with J.K. Rowling’s magical books. In 1999, Rowling sold the film rights for the first four books about the boy with the glasses to Warner Bros. for a little over $1 million. Since then, Warner has more than recouped its investment – about several thousand times over, in fact.
The Harry Potter movies have grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing movie franchise of all time. The first movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, was released in 2001 and was an instant hit. It grossed over $974 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing movie of the year.
The success of the first movie spawned a series of eight films, with the last one, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, being released in 2011. The last movie was the highest-grossing of the series, grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide.
The success of the Harry Potter movies has also spawned a number of spin-off films, including Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The first Fantastic Beasts movie grossed over $814 million worldwide, while the second one grossed over $653 million.
Overall, the Harry Potter franchise has been a massive success for Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling. It has grossed over $7.7 billion worldwide and has spawned a number of spin-off films. It all started with Rowling’s decision to sell the film rights for the first four books for a little over $1 million. It’s safe to say that she made a very wise investment.