The Billion-Dollar Business Behind the ‘Harry Potter’ Franchise (Infographic)
Warner Brothers knows all about fantastic profits and where to find them.
1 min read
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone published in the United Kingdom on June 26, 1997. A year later, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone debuted in the U.S. The franchise is still going strong two decades later, as Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hit theaters this week, marking the 10th film in the Potter Universe.
There’s a pretty simple reason that Warner Brothers keeps making Harry Potter movies: They keep making money.
According to an infographic by Statista, the franchise has hauled in $25 billion in revenue since 1997 — $8.5 billion at the box office (if you include worldwide revenue from The Crimes of Grindelwald), $7.7 billion in books and another $9.3 billion from toy and DVD sales.
By comparison, the Marvel franchise has grossed $17.5 billion worldwide through 20 movies. The top earner in the franchise has been Avengers: Infinity War, which has made over $2 billion so far. The highest grossing Harry Potter movie to date is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which made $1.3 billion.
Sources: Statista and Morning Brew
