There’s been recent news that is sure to get hearts racing for Potterheads everywhere. Warner Bros. have confirmed to the media that a new Harry Potter movie is being released[1], with screenplay written by none other than JK Rowling herself.

The Harry potter Book franchise was monumental, changing teen literature and the extents of our imagination immensely. The seven books were beautifully written, with the last one tying together plots and subplots neatly, giving the series a well-deserved grand finale. But soon after this Denouement, JK released to the press information on Pottermore, which  – after a grand waitlist and a dramatic buildup – ended up being nothing more than a basic online roleplaying game. Though this seemed to me as a slight letdown to the sanctity I held for Harry Potter, I digested it and moved on.

Now, NY times has come out with an article (Found here:  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/business/media/warner-jk-rowling-partnership-will-include-new-wizardry-film.html?_r=0) which indicates a contract between Warner Bros and JK Rowling for “new movies, distribution rights to a television mini-series and new theme park attractions”. If that doesn’t scream brand exploitation, I don’t know what does.

The Propaganda behind all of this new merchandise lies in the fact that it comes with a ‘JK Rowling’ & a general ‘Harry Potter’ tag. This, in my opinion, takes away credibility to the initial quality behind the name, and I’m sure many others feel the same way too. With mixed feelings on the movie and theme park, I can’t help but wonder: how much marketing is too much? Is there a limit to how far the value of a brand name can stretch?

Let’s talk about it in the comments below!

On a side note: 11 reasons UBC is actually Hogwarts. Must read! http://whatweshouldcallubc.tumblr.com/post/63436363902/11-reasons-why-the-university-of-british-columbia-is