Star Wars is what it is essentially on the strength of 3 films, the original three.
Think about that.
I can't really think of anything that is anywhere near the same stratosphere other than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
This is a vast overstatement. A significant number of people also don't like
Return of the Jedi and one might notice it's easily the least homaged film of the original trilogy. A lot of people will tell you many of the same problems bugging the prequels began with
Jedi. This is coming from someone who loved
Jedi, just to clarify. I watched it probably literally a hundred times more than
The Empire Strikes Back. That doesn't change how other people feel.
The Star Wars franchise rests
entirely on the legacy of the first two films, with special emphasis on
The Empire Strikes Back.
I can think of Harry Potter, but it relies on Potter too much, but based on my limited knowledge, there are other magic schools that could be interesting like the French and Russian ones, not to mention the new movie which is based in America and doesn't involve the main gang. ( I think?)
The new film takes place in America, yes, and seems to be part of an effort to create a larger universe around Harry Potter. Most responses I've seen to
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them has been moaning and groaning about the very fact it is not a continuation of the Potter franchise proper. I'm optimistic but I'm not expecting a box office success.