Harry Potter is making a big return! However, this time, it appears that a reboot is in the works thanks to a recent report from Bloomberg that cites the series is closing getting a deal. Now, this news isn’t particularly shocking because reports about another Harry Potter show have been popping up in the last year or two. The talks increased when Hogwarts Legacy sold an astounding $850 million worldwide.
Despite the failure of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, it’s clear that Harry Potter is a hot commodity. The final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, came out in 2011 and the brand itself is still raking in millions thanks to merchandise and video games. Making a television series that allows the creators to follow each book closely sounds like a great idea. Or, it could turn out to be Stephen King‘s attempt at bringing The Shining to television screens.
The Bad News…The Original Cast Will Not Return
The bad news with all of this is that it sounds as if the original cast of Harry Potter will have nothing to do with this series. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson were simply perfect for their roles. There will be a shadow looming on whoever steps into the shoes of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The series as a whole was a perfect storm of casting and storytelling. Of course, the films had to cut out plenty of material from the books, but there’s no denying that the Harry Potter film is arguably the best Young Adult adaptation to date.
The strain between Radcliffe, Grint, Watson, and J.K. Rowling is likely the reason we’re getting a television series instead of The Cursed Child. Warner Brothers hasn’t been shy about wanting another Harry Potter film. In fact, the recent anniversary special garnered much buzz and excitement over the return of Harry Potter. Ideally, a reboot is unnecessary because the original films are still fresh in most viewer’s minds. They still look amazing visually as well. There are clear negatives about the potential television series, but the good outweighs the bad in this situation.
The Television Series Can Expand On The Characters
There’s plenty of good about Harry Potter, but many of the characters were either cut or shortchanged in the films. One of the bigger sins was Barty Crouch Jr, who was very complex and dynamic in the source material but was an odd and one-dimensional name in The Goblet of Fire. Ginny Weasley was also more important in the books, but she wasn’t treated with much respect in the films even though she plays a strong role in the sixth installment. Other notable supporting characters in the books such as Luda Bagman, Frank and Alice Longbottom, Professor Cuthbert Binns, and Peeves weren’t even in the film!
The series can finally do these characters justice by accurately presenting them onscreen and giving them the necessary dimension that they had in the books. A book adaptation is always going to deal with changes, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if some other characters are left out because Harry Potter can’t put the spotlight on everyone. Still, by bringing in or elevating some of the notable characters in the source material, it won’t feel as much of a copy-and-paste situation because the source material is highly more detailed than the films dived into.
It Can Also Explore The Stories That Were Cut From The Film
Not everything from the source material can be accurately translated onscreen, and it’s even harder when there are only two hours of medium to film. What’s impressive about the movies is that there’s so much content that was cut and it still managed to be a strong series regardless. However, the show can further dive into arcs such as Neville Longbottom being another possible chosen one. He’s in the films, but there’s never much to that storyline. Other things like The Tragedy of Arianna Dumbledore or Barry Crouch Jr’s backstory and how he escaped Azkaban can finally be showcased as well.
The Harry Potter show isn’t going to explore every root and side story from its source material. Honestly, it shouldn’t. There’s a danger that all of the side plots in the books can overshadow the main story. However, it would be a shame if the series was an identical copy and paste from the movies. The events through the series will be the same for the most part, but given the fact that the series has an opportunity to expand on its source material, this shouldn’t be as nearly identical as the movies.
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