Warner Bros. Considering Licensing Harry Potter, DC, Batman, and More Franchises to Other Studios

Warner Bros. is exploring the idea of licensing its franchises to other game developers. This strategy aims to boost the company’s performance and revenue, especially after the disappointing release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which led to a $200 million revenue hit for Warner Bros.

During a recent Q2 earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav discussed the potential benefits of licensing their IPs.

Zaslav said:

One of the strategic advantages of owning all our IP is, as the world has changed, it used to be you launch a movie or you launch a TV series, then you do a game. But one of the reasons that Hogwarts Legacy was so successful and the #1 game last year, you went to Hogwarts Legacy and you entered the game and you were able to become part of that world. That ultimately I think is a big piece of where this industry is going. That we’ll create a movie, whether it’s Batman or Superman or Harry Potter, and maybe there’ll be a TV show, but the ability to go in that world and have that experience of spending time with all the characters is something that we still own. We have 11 studios here, and we have a lot of IP. And there’s also a lot of interest among others in coming to take advantage of some of that IP for gaming, which we’re looking at. Because as JB said, we need to get bigger, and the IP that we own and the value that it has in the gaming space is something we’re looking to take advantage of.

He emphasized the interest from other developers in using Warner Bros.’ IPs for gaming.

Warner Bros. has already seen success with Hogwarts Legacy, which sold over 22 million copies. This success story contrasts sharply with the failure of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

This move could lead to a variety of new games from different studios, much like how Disney licenses out its properties like Star Wars and Marvel. By licensing out their IPs, Warner Bros. hopes to see more successful titles without the financial risk of developing games in-house.

More MP1st Reading:

• WB Games Wants to Focus on Free-to-Play and Mobile Games, Calls AAA Console Games “Volatile”
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League “Has Fallen Short of Our Expectations,” Admits Warner Bros.
• Report: Hogwarts Legacy: Director’s Cut Being Worked on by Rocksteady, Studio Leaders Looking to Pitch Single-Player Game

[Source: IGN]

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