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A third Harry Potter spin-off movie — Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — is now in theatres. Why is this still a thing?

Gadgets 360 senior reviewer Ali Pardiwala and pop culture aficionado Nikhila Makker join host and entertainment editor Akhil Arora to talk all things Wizarding World.

We discuss how we got here, from the craze around the Harry Potter books and films to dwindling box office returns for Fantastic Beasts chapters, and why Warner Bros. is bent on squeezing every last drop out of it.

We also talk about the toxicity around the Potter universe, be it author J.K. Rowling’s repeated transphobic comments, or the several mistakes that Warner has made, with little attempt to show itself in a better light.

Along the way, we touch upon other expansion attempts — apps, video games, reunion special, a stage play, and its companion book — and wonder the logical next step if all should fail. A reboot, always.

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Write to us at podcast@gadgets360.com

Chapters

• Intro (00:00)
• Rise and fall (00:22)
• The Potter lens (05:49)
• Universe expansion (08:06)
• Original movies (13:34)
• Rowling and beyond (21:15)
• Self-cursed (27:19)
• Outro (31:40)

Cover: Warner Bros. Photo credits: Bloomsbury, WB, Rowling, Akhil Arora/Gadgets 360