Harry Potter fan fiction sells movie rights for record-breaking $3M but there’s a catch
Warner Bros.The movie rights to a novel by Harry Potter fan fiction icon SenLinYu has reportedly been sold to Legendary for a record-breaking $3 million. But if you’re expecting a tale of Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy’s forbidden love, there’s something you should know.
Right now, all Potterheads are no doubt focused on the upcoming Harry Potter TV show. The cast is taking shape, with new child stars set to take the place of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as the most famous wizarding trio.
But in some corners of the internet, fan fiction is where it’s at. These are stories written by fans, often taking beloved characters in new (sometimes crazy) directions, exploring ‘what if’ non-canon scenarios that are romantic or darker than the source material.
In the case of Harry Potter, one subgenre is Dramione, which involves stories in which Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger go from enemies to lovers. But this isn’t the story the new movie adaptation will tell.
Harry Potter fan fiction author sells movie rights for $3 million
Warner Bros.You see, Legendary Entertainment has bought the rights to Alchemised, the upcoming debut novel by SenLinYu. Even though it’s not a Harry Potter spinoff, the story did start out its life as Dramione fan fiction.
This was revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, with sources telling the outlet that the tale evolved over time into a dark romantasy.
“Set in an alternate world of necromancers and corrupt guild families, the story centers on an alchemist and healer named Helena Marino, who may hold forgotten secrets in her mind,” the description reads.
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Helena’s sent to a necromancer to probe her forgotten memories, but her “fight to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own… secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.”
Sources also told the outlet that the acquisition cost a whopping $3 million – one of the highest sums paid for a book’s movie rights not accounting for inflation. If you want to read Alchemised before it makes it to the big screen, the book drops on September 23.
It’s the debut novel of SenLinYu, but it’s hardly their first time in the storytelling realm. Sen is a known figure in the fan fiction world, having earned more than 10 million views for their Dramione title Manacled.
They’ve also written Star Wars fanfic, pairing Kylo Ren and Rey. Speaking about the latest news, Sen said, “I’m honored by Legendary’s incredible enthusiasm for the project and can’t wait to see the world of Paladia come to life.”
In the meantime, read about why a Harry Potter and the Cursed Child movie is impossible to make, whether Cillian Murphy will play Voldemort in the TV show, what you need to know about Harry Potter’s new Snape actor Paapa Essiedu.