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Sure, you can go to Universal Orlando to hang out in Diagon Alley. If you want to binge-watch the Harry Potter movies from your own house, it’s a little bit more complicated than that. Are movies like Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone available on Disney’s streaming platform? Here’s what we know about the Harry Potter franchise and its relationship to subscription services.

Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Matthew Lewis attend the premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Matthew Lewis attend the premiere of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” | Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Disney has 21st Century Fox movies and television shows on its streaming platform

This studio may be known for its animated classics like Frozen and Princess and the Frog. As the Walt Disney Company grew, it acquired more and more franchises. That includes Pixar, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, Marvel, and 21st Century Fox.

After a deal with Warner Bros, the Harry Potter franchise is owned exclusively by NBCUniversal, as of 2018. This is the same network with the rights to Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, the musical Les Miserables, and Pitch Perfect. NBCUniversal also has the theme park rights to this franchise, opening attractions in Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Japan.

Does Disney own ‘Harry Potter’?

If you’ve been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, you might’ve seen some of Disney’s franchises highlighted in their theme parks. Some franchises have been transformed into immersive experiences for guests. That includes Pandora: The World of Avatar in Animal Kingdom, Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios.

Universal Orlando, which is only a few miles away from Walt Disney World, is home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. According to Investopedia, NBCUniversal has the rights to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World franchise.

“Beyond exclusive access rights for the films in the Wizarding World series, NBCU will receive ‘exclusive content and events’ for Wizarding World properties at its theme parks. Universal already has attractions relating to Harry Potter in locations around the world,” the article continues.

“From my point of view being a theme park designer, the Harry Potter series is more valuable and even bigger than Star Wars,” says Edward Marks, Co-CEO of the Producers Group, an international theme park production company, according to Forbes. “Potter crosses all ages, all sexes and connects with almost everyone.”

‘Harry Potter’ is not on Disney’s subscription service, Disney+

Disney has everything from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to Diary of a Wimpy Kid on their streaming platform. However, the Harry Potter franchise is missing from their library. The movies are not available on the popular streaming platform, Netflix, either.

Fortunately for Harry Potter fans, NBCUniversal is launching its own streaming platform during April 2020, complete with popular television shows like The Office. According to VOX, movies available for binge-watching include Jaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., the Fast & Furious series, the Bourne franchise, Billy Elliot, and Shrek.

There’s no word regarding when, or if, movies like Harry Potter the Sorcerer’s Stone will join the library. Presumably, more information about Peacock will be available in the coming months. Until then, fans can purchase digital and physical copies of the Harry Potter franchise on Target, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

To learn more about Disney+ and to subscribe, visit their website. 

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Julia Dzurillay

Staff Writer - Music

When I'm not writing or sleeping, you can probably find me eating spoonfuls of vanilla soft serve or crying about the latest episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.

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