As The New Yorker reported in a report on Mattel’s post-“Barbie” plans, it’s not just Mattel that’s leaning heavily into IP. Warner Bros. Discovery is working on a scripted “Harry Potter” TV series, attempting to lean into a brand that’s been tarnished for some by its creator’s transphobia, not to mention a series of lackluster prequel films. Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins told Variety in a profile published Wednesday that the studio’s upcoming animated films would focus on familiar franchises like “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” rather than going after “expensive original animated” films with less certain audiences.
I enjoyed ATLA and I’d rather have something like that be an exhaustively praised fad than some alternatives like, say, Gambo. I’ll give it that.
Shows targeted specifically toward adults can sometimes be downright juvenile.