Universal's Best Twilight / Harry Potter Replacement Has Been In Development Hell For Six Years

Published Nov 13, 2026, 7:05 AM EST

Once head of Screen Rant's Star Wars coverage, Tom's career began as a fan of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, and his love of major franchises has ultimately led to a decade-long career. He'd had the privilege of interviewing writers, authors, directors, actors, stunt coordinators, and VFX artists on a staggering number of his favorite franchises, including Star Wars, the MCU, Stranger Things, Halo, Foundation, and more. He's conducted set visits in the UK, attending major comic cons in New York and London, and reported at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as press. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon, on LinkedIn @tabacon, or on Muckrack under tombacon.

Tom has a wide range of interests, and he continues to serve his university as a volunteer chaplain. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he's into British politics too.

Step aside, Twilight, and move over, Harry Potter; Universal has the perfect answer to both. It may seem an unlikely combination; Twilight is a "sparkly vampire" romance, while Harry Potter blazed the trail for the current generation of magic schools (complete with a healthy dose of a Chosen One destiny). And yet, have you ever noticed how the best original stories are a delightful mix of multiple ideas, creating something refreshingly new and yet delightfully familiar?

Step forward Tracy Wolff's Crave, which is a stunning blend of the two. It stars Grace Foster, a young orphan who winds up sent to what turns out to be a school for vampires, werewolves, dragons, witches, and more. And, of course, the different groups don't get on at all. The book is delightfully self-aware (at one point the vampire love-interest gives Grace a gift copy of Twilight), and it turns so many of the central tropes upside-down in a fantastic way.

Crave Corrects So Many Of Harry Potter & Twilight's Big Problems

Crave launched in 2020, and it's expanded into a full six-book series. Katmere Academy isn't Hogwarts; it's much more dangerous, a little closer to the dark academia books I've fallen in love with of late. The various factions initially feel almost like your traditional high school, where the jocks and the nerds all hang out together, but it soon becomes clear the racial "tribes" are much more dangerous. Grace has no idea what she's dealing with, and initially there's an entertaining sense of denial as readers figure out what's happening even as she tries to tell herself she's going nuts.

That said, my personal favorite twist here is that the heroes are not the Chosen Ones. In fact, this is a franchise where the Chosen One went wrong; where the vampire love interest's brother was believed to be a Chosen One, and was raised to believe he was something special. It's fascinating to realize how much this kind of philosophy can twist and scar a person, making the Crave story a fun interrogation of a trope we've seen played out so many times. It reminds me a little of Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, but a little better done (with apologies to George Lucas).

As a lover of Twilight and Harry Potter, and someone who very much enjoys romantasy, I can honestly say Crave is a must-read. Wolff is wonderfully creative, and her world is so very immersive; even when she plays with familiar tropes and character beats, she does so with a nod and a wink. If you like vampires and werewolves, magic schools, or even dragon shifters, this is the series for you.

You can buy the Crave series here.

Will Crave Ever Come To Live-Action?

But here's the annoying thing; Universal acquired the rights to Crave before the first book even came out, with Universal’s SVP of Production Jeyun Munford and Creative Executive Christine Sun set to oversee the production. We've had zero news about the film since then, though, which is something of a surprise; unfortunately, Munford isn't even at Universal anymore, which may well mean this particular movie has been lost in development hell. If so, it's a real shame; at a time when both Harry Potter and Twilight are re-emerging, this is an epic that should really be given a chance to flourish.

For now, readers would be wise to pick up Crave for something that will definitely scratch that itch in the best possible way.