'Harry Potter’ ranks among the highest-grossing film franchises in history

The ‘Harry Potter’ franchise is valued at more than $32B

Combining book sales, films, theme parks, and merchandise, Harry Potter ranks among the world’s highest-grossing media franchises—estimated at more than $32B in total value, alongside giants like Star Wars and Marvel.

'Harry Potter' became one of the most successful franchises in history

What began as a story written in cafés by an unknown author grew into a global phenomenon—spanning seven books, eight films, theme parks, and video games—reshaping modern popular culture.

Visualizing the highest-grossing movie franchises from 1979 to 2019

A few dozen major movie franchises have dominated the box office in recent decades, including "Star Wars," "Harry Potter," "Lord of the Rings," and Marvel. This video shows the change from quarter to quarter in gross revenue for each movie franchise over the decades.

The numbers behind the 'Star Wars' franchise

The "Star Wars" movies include some of the biggest blockbusters in Hollywood history, with the original film, 1977's "A New Hope," earning a 2,400% profit. Only one of the franchise's movies (2018's "Solo") has lost money at the box office.

Breaking down the many box office records 'Star Wars' has broken

The first "Star Wars" film made history in 1977 when it surpassed "Jaws," considered the first Hollywood blockbuster, for the highest-grossing movie of all time. But that's just the first in a long line of records that the franchise has broken in the decades since then, with impressive records set by films like "The Force Awakens," "Revenge of the Sith," and "The Last Jedi."

Critics rank the best movie franchises of all time

Franchises and sequels make up a growing percentage of annual films at the box office and aren't typically associated with critical acclaim. However, many franchises over the decades have achieved high praise from critics. This list compiled from...

'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' sparked record theme park attendance

A Forbes analysis found Universal’s parks in Florida, Japan, and California saw average attendance growth of 32% after opening Wizarding World attractions, with Orlando’s Islands of Adventure—the home of the Wizarding World—rising 64.5% to 9.8 million visitors.

'Harry Potter’ follows a young wizard’s battle against evil

The seven-book series traces Harry’s journey from an orphan discovering his magical heritage to confronting the dark wizard Lord Voldemort. Alongside friends Hermione and Ron, he faces loss, power, and moral choice in a world divided between good and evil.

HBO is developing a decade-long ‘Harry Potter’ television series

Announced in 2023, the adaptation will retell all seven books across multiple seasons, with new casting and JK Rowling as executive producer. HBO says the series is set to premiere in 2027.

'Harry Potter’ transformed the young adult publishing industry

The series’ success reshaped the market for youth fiction. In 1997, about 3,000 young adult titles were published annually. By 2009, that number soared to 30,000 as publishers chased the next major phenomenon.

'Fantastic Beasts' expanded the film franchise with mixed results

Warner Bros. launched the "Fantastic Beasts" prequel series in 2016 to explore the wizarding world’s earlier history. Despite strong openings, later films saw declining box office returns and lukewarm critical reception.

'Harry Potter' dominance led The New York Times to create a new bestseller list

In 2000, The New York Times introduced a separate bestseller list for children's books after Harry Potter titles occupied top spots on the main list for more than a year.

'Harry Potter’ became the first kids' book to top the New York Times list since 1952

After its 1998 US release, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone" reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list—the first children’s book to do so since "Charlotte’s Web." By September 1999, the first three books held the top three spots on the list.

25 things you might not know about ‘Harry Potter,’ from John Green

John Green runs through 25 lesser-known facts about “Harry Potter”—like how JK Rowling was the first person to become a billionaire solely by being an author.

Listen to an academic analysis of the 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter'

Potterversity examines the Harry Potter series through an academic lens—inviting scholars from diverse fields to uncover new interpretations and deeper meanings within the book series.

Disney movies grossed $6.58B in 2025

The worldwide box office figure was $1.5B higher than 2025's take, propelled by movies like "Zootopia 2," "Lilo & Stitch," and "Avatar: Fire and Ash." The haul was the biggest from a studio since 2019.

Four directors shaped the evolving tone of the ‘Harry Potter’ films

Across eight movies, Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates each brought a distinct vision—from early wonder to darker maturity—charting the series’ shift from children’s fantasy to coming-of-age epic.

Tom Hanks reportedly made around $65M for the film 'Forrest Gump'

His salary for the Forrest role is one of the highest-paid parts in movie history. This article details others, from "Gravity" to "Alice in Wonderland."

Global box office revenues hit $33.5B in 2025

The number was a marked improvement from 2024, up 12% from a particularly sluggish year. Disney films—including "Lilo & Stitch" and "Zootopia 2"—were some of the year's biggest earners.

‘Jaws’ was the first modern blockbuster

“Jaws” earned $70M in its first month and eventually grossed $476M worldwide, breaking box office records. It would be surpassed two years later by another legendary blockbuster: “Star Wars.”

Disney movies pulled in over $5B in 2024

2024 was a banner year for Disney, with the global film studio finding success with "Inside Out 2," "Moana 2," and "Deadpool & Wolverine." While Disney has faced criticism for its reliance on sequels, reboots, and offshoots, the 2024 numbers suggest the public is still eager for its content.

Go behind the scenes of the making of the ‘Harry Potter’ films

See a rare look at how the beloved series was brought to life—from set design and visual effects to interviews with cast and crew who shaped the wizarding world on screen.

Horror grossed more than $1B at the box office for the first time in 2017

It was the first time the genre broke the barrier for domestic box offices, powered by hits like "Get Out," "IT" and "Split." Since then, horror movies have remained commercial juggernauts: In 2025, the genre surpassed the $1B mark by September.

'The Wizarding World of Harry Potter' brought the books to life in theme parks

Opened in 2010 at Universal Orlando, the immersive attraction recreates Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Additional Wizarding World lands now operate at Universal parks in Japan, Hollywood, and Beijing.

'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ became an award-winning stage play

Premiering in 2016, the play continues the story beyond the original books and has run in London’s West End and on Broadway, winning nine Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards, including best play.

Early reviews turned ‘Harry Potter’ into an unexpected hit

Though only 500 hardback copies of "The Philosopher’s Stone" were printed in 1997—and mostly sent to libraries, due to doubts it would sell—glowing reviews and word of mouth fueled a surge in demand. Within a year, the book had sold more than 70,000 copies in the UK.

The 'Wicked' movies turned an already-successful Broadway show into a behemoth

The production was already one of the most successful in Broadway history, but the release of the first movie kicked it into overdrive: It grossed 15% more in 2024, the year "Wicked: Part I" was released, than the previous year, bringing in more than $112M.

Hogwarts Legacy was 2023’s bestselling video game

Set a century before the books, Hogwarts Legacy lets players explore an open-world version of the wizarding world. Released in 2023, it sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, topping global sales charts.

MuggleNet became the internet's largest 'Harry Potter' fan community

Launched in 1999, MuggleNet attracted millions of readers with news, theories, and fan-fiction. It helped define early online fandom, later expanding into podcasts, books and events.

The NFL is the most valuable sports league in the world.

'Harry Potter’ inspired a real-life version of Quidditch

Created by college students in 2005, the broomstick-based sport became an international phenomenon with organized leagues and World Cup tournaments. Now called Quadball, it’s played in more than 40 countries worldwide.

MuggleCast is the original ‘Harry Potter’ fan podcast

Launched in 2005 by the creators of MuggleNet, MuggleCast offers weekly discussions, news and fan theories on Harry Potter. It quickly became one of the internet’s major fandom podcasts and still runs today.

Many critically panned cult classics did well at the box office

Franchise flops like 1997's "Batman & Robin," 1983's "Jaws 3-D," and 2015's "Fantastic Four" were panned, though that didn't stop them from selling hundreds of millions of dollars in tickets.

‘Halloween’ is one of the most profitable indie films of all time

The 1978 John Carpenter movie grossed $70M in its initial run despite a modest budget. It helped pioneer the “slasher flick” subgenre, though it wasn’t filled with cheap thrills. As Roger Ebert pointed out in his review of the movie, Carpenter’s filmmaking techniques—alongside his original score—were a work of art.

Translating ‘Harry Potter’ required creativity across 60+ languages

This Vox video explores how translators adapted JK Rowling’s wordplay, invented spells, and cultural references—reimagining names and magical terms while attempting to preserve humor, rhythm, and meaning for readers around the world.

'Harry Potter’ book launches became midnight cultural events with strict rules

As anticipation grew, bookstores worldwide hosted midnight release parties for new Harry Potter titles—drawing crowds in costume, complete with games and countdowns, transforming book launches into global celebrations of reading. Libraries and stores were required to adhere to strict regulations over who could handle the books before the official debut.

JK Rowling’s comments on transgender issues have sparked controversy and boycotts

Since 2019, Rowling’s public statements on gender and trans issues have prompted widespread backlash, leading many fans to attempt to distance her views from the Harry Potter series.

Fan fiction has slowly become a part of mainstream publishing

In 2025, the SenLinYu fantasy novel "Alchemised," which began as "Harry Potter" fan fiction, became a bestseller after being traditionally published; its movie rights were sold for over $3M. The mainstreaming of the genre is due to a combination of factors, including publishing's interest in the hard metrics that fan fiction websites provide.

Sequels that performed better than their original

If modern cinema is a testament to one thing alone, it’s that a smash hit will inevitably spawn a sequel. On occasion, that sequel will outperform its predecessor. Here are 50 times it happened.

'Muggle’ entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2003

The Harry Potter term for a nonmagical person became an official English word when the Oxford English Dictionary added it in 2003—cementing the series’ influence on modern language and popular culture.

Read JK Rowling's original 'Harry Potter' pitch that a dozen publishers rejected.

Disney fans categorize the company's films into specific eras

Superfans break the company's animated films into chronological eras: the Golden Age, the Transitional Era, the Disney Renaissance, the Modern Era, and the Revival Era.

One 'Harry Potter' fan fiction deals with cognitive science and philosophy

Eliezer Yudkowsky's "Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality" is not your typical fan fiction: It uses JK Rowling's fictional universe to wrestle with rationalist philosophy and the physics behind the magic taught at Hogwarts. The book went on to become popular in Silicon Valley, especially in the effective altruism movement.

A scientific analysis of famous time travel stories

This 8-minute video explores how time travel influences the narrative arc of several movies, books and video games, from Harry Potter to A Christmas Carol. (Warning: it contains spoilers!) J.K. Rowling and Charles Dickens set myriad parameters as they’re worldbuilding to avoid paradoxes and create quasi-logical timelines. By drawing diagrams as he’s speaking, the video breaks down how time works in some of popular culture’s most beloved fictional universes.

The top 10 movie franchises that tried and failed with a new lead actor

Movie franchises are seen as a safe bet for film studios, but sometimes those studios switch up the lead actor in hopes of refreshing the franchise. While it can work, there are many examples of such films bombing, like with the "Terminator" and "Home Alone" franchises. This video breaks down the 10 worst cases of a failed switch in franchise lead.

Visualizing Hollywood's flops and winners in 2023

Is the movie worth watching? See how this year's cinematic releases compare with one another by revenue and popularity with this simple chart. Hollywood movies can be ranked on two axes: their popular rating and total revenues earned. In this data...

A statistical breakdown of the global film industry

Dive into this collection of stats and infographics explaining the current state of both Hollywood and the global film industry. The page covers a variety of topics, including independent film production, box office revenue, global film markets, movie-going demographics and more. It also addresses the relatively new phenomenon of home video streaming.

Netflix is the dominant streaming service

As of 2025, Netflix had amassed more than 300 million subscribers globally and saw quarterly revenue over $11B.

The 2017 adaptation of King's 'IT' is the most successful horror movie ever

The 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's horror novel "IT" wasn't the first adaptation for the screen, but it was the most successful. It broke multiple box-office records, becoming the highest-grossing horror movie in history. This resource breaks down every record it broke in its theatrical release.

American billionaires' wealth, visualized

America's top 20 billionaires have a combined wealth of $2.7T as of 2024. That's more than Russia's annual GDP. But some billionaires, like Elon Musk, hold a greater share of that $2.7T number than others. To see just how much money each of these 20 billionaires have in comparison to the others in the group, check out this data visualization.