There has been no proof surrounding recent rumors that Disney is trying to buy the Harry Potter franchise. While there were certainly attempts by the company to bring the series to their own parks, it is incredibly unlikely that Warner Brothers would want to give up one of their most popular franchises when layoffs and other financial issues have plagued the company. But why would Disney want to deal with the ongoing controversies caused by J.K. Rowling when they have the perfect magical media to lean into already?
Disney Twisted-Wonderland may be one of the most subversive uses of various Disney properties to date, even if it’s a mobile game. Anime giant Aniplex brought in Yana Toboso of Black Butler fame to create an alternate world inspired by the various villains created over the years by the media giant. It resulted in a story about a magical school where teenagers go to hone their skills. Sound familiar?
The comparisons to Harry Potter don’t end there, either. Who needs four houses when there are seven dormitories inspired by movies like The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Hercules, and more? Its magical sport, Spelldrive, certainly makes more sense than Quidditch, rules-wise, and certainly didn’t have a controversy worth changing its name over. Plus, the game literally features a self-insert main character so players can fully immerse themselves in the world, so what’s not to love?
Well, some fans might not love that the game has gacha mechanics, which is reasonably going to be an instant turnoff for some gamers. Still, anyone who attempted to survive playing the disaster that was Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery will find Disney Twisted-Wonderland far less headache-inducing. Thankfully, there are other ways to interact with the franchise, and Disney has all the tools to make it a success across the world. Having worked with manga publisher Tokyopop previously to release products like the Nightmare Before Christmas manga, it would be easy to get the manga adaptation in the hands of non-Japanese readers. In fact, it already looks to be on the way later this year.
While the release date has yet to be announced, Disney has stated the game will be receiving an anime adaptation as well. If the trailers brought to life by CloverWorks — the studio behind Spy x Family and My Dress-Up Darling — are anything to judge by, it’s going to be absolutely gorgeous.
With Disney showing more and more interest in anime, picking up titles like Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War and continuing to contract incredible studios to create Star Wars: Visions, it’s not impossible to imagine Disney using Disney-Twisted Wonderland to take on the giant that is Harry Potter as a less controversial, less antisemitic, and certainly less transphobic alternative franchise. Heck, even Warner Brothers could turn their focus to another similar franchise if they wanted to leave the problematic series behind as well.
We’ll just have to wait and see what both companies do. Until then, those looking for a unique Hogwarts Legacy alternative have this gem from Disney to look into.
