PD: I'll start with the question that is probably on everyone's mind: what inspired the initiative to bring the Wizarding World to Last Resort Films?
SJE: I’ve always loved the Wizarding World. Jimmy and I grew up on the Harry Potter books and films, and all three of us kids would read the books together, it was kind of a shared language for us growing up. As I got older, what stuck with me wasn’t just the main story, but how much more there felt like there was beneath the surface. It’s a world with so much potential, so many stories that haven’t been told yet. Bringing it to Last Resort Films felt like an opportunity to explore those corners properly, and hopefully do some of those stories justice.
PD: While you're not the only writer tackling the Wizarding World, most of the films planned hale from you. Can you give fans a little tease of what they can hopefully expect to see in the future if all goes according to plan?
SJE: Very true, I am not the only writer, with, Dawson Edwards and Diane Esposito also writing films. I will only tease what I have planned and i'm very excited to do so. I originally envisioned The House of Black as a trilogy on its own, but I readjusted. Coming next from myself (not next in the wizarding world) is a Mad-Eye Moody film. We have a big name attached and I am excited for everyone to get a glimpse at the Wizarding World from a different angle. Another film coming will be The Marauders - it may not be what is expected from a Marauders film but I hope everyone loves it. The one that I am maybe most excited for stems from home (Australia). I have written a film, with plans to expand into its own series based on the Aboriginal culture in Australia. The final Wizarding World film I have written will actually take us into the future, The Fall of Azkaban, it will follow Teddy Lupin.
PD: In terms of budget, the only film on your resume in the mega-budget category like The House of Black is Troll Mountain. That film did not manage to earn a profit for the studio, but did you gleam any lessons on blockbuster filmmaking from it?
SJE: Absolutely - probably more from that experience than I would have from a clean success. Troll Mountain taught me that scale without perspective is just noise. You can build something massive, but if the audience doesn’t feel anchored to the characters, it drifts. With something like The House of Black, the approach is inverted: start small, start intimate, and let the scale emerge from the stakes rather than the other way around. It also reinforced how important discipline is - every dollar on screen has to serve story, not just spectacle. That’s something I’ve carried into every decision since.
PD: What's next for you?
SJE: My other films really couldn’t be further removed from the Wizarding World if they tried, and that contrast is intentional. The next slate leans heavily into smaller, more intimate storytelling - Heartbeat leads the way, a medical and courtroom drama that’s very grounded and character-driven. After that comes Below the Surface, which is probably the most personal piece I’ve worked on, since Tumor, a quiet exploration of loss. Then there’s Barque in the Harbor, a very small, almost fragile romance.
Looking a bit further ahead, Ghost Frame and The French Play arrive in Season 39, followed by Silent Strokes and Glass Eater in Season 40. With the exception of Ghost Frame, which takes some tonal inspiration from The Catcher in the Rye, everything in that run sits firmly in the drama space. They’re all deliberately scaled down, focused more on people than spectacle, which has been an important balance for me alongside the larger Wizarding World projects.
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