But some other long-running franchises have enjoyed stellar successes even as Potter’s magic has appeared to be waning. The last three movies in the Star Wars series earned a combined $5.98 billion globally (though the final film, The Rise of Skywalker, was panned by critics and some fans, it still topped $1.34 billion).
The Spider-Man franchise has endured ups and downs since Toby Maguire first felt his spidey senses tingling in 2001, but the most recent addition — No Way Home, with Tom Holland slinging the webs — has racked up a staggering $2.53 billion globally, proving that if you get the formula right, not even a pandemic will keep the fans away.
By contrast, Harry Potter has been unable to maintain that kind of momentum in Australia. The first film, which opened in 2001, took more than $42 million locally. The second, in 2002, took $37 million, the third (2004) just under $34 million. The peak came in 2011, when the final instalment, The Deathly Hallows – Part 2, took $52.65 million in Australia (these figure have not been adjusted for inflation).
The Fantastic Beasts films have taken $32 million and $23 million respectively.