The Harry Potter franchise might be over 20 years old now, but its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. Last November marked two full decades since The Sorcerer’s (or Philosopher’s, depending on your geographical location) Stone opened in theaters, kickstarting the Wizarding World saga that would go on to spawn seven sequels, as based on the books by J.K. Rowling, as well as three spinoff films to date.
With Pottermania sweeping the internet once again thanks to the release of the 20th anniversary reunion special Return to Hogwarts this New Year’s Day, the Harry Potter movies are once again washing out the competition on HBO Max. Out of the top 10 most popular films on the WarnerMedia streaming service the world over this weekend, eight of them are HP titles.
As per the latest from FlixPatrol, Return to Hogwarts remains at the top of the charts, with the Sorcerer’s Stone in second place. Chapters 2-6 then follow in chronological order from third to seventh, with Deathly Hallows Part 1 sneaking in at number ten, behind The Matrix and Dune. The final installment, Deathly Hallows Part 2, isn’t far below the rest in 16th position. Clearly, folks are binging the whole series from the beginning, though it seems not everyone is making it all the way to the end.
2022 could prove to be a great year for Potterheads, as this April brings Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, the long-awaited third prequel. WB have spent more than enough time perfecting this one — it’s coming three and a half years after Crimes of Grindelwald — so hopefully it’ll manage to be the best of the Fantastic Beasts films so far.
As for what’s next for the Boy Who Lived himself, a live-action TV series is reportedly in development for HBO Max, and there’s always talk of a reunion movie, perhaps an adaptation of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play.
