The Billion-Dollar Business Behind the 'Harry Potter' Franchise (Infographic) Warner Brothers knows all about fantastic profits and where to find them.
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
