Like most millennials, I grew up with the Harry Potter books and movies and have a strong connection to the Wizarding World.
Diving into the story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione was a cornerstone experience of my youth, and now I even work a job that takes me to Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter regularly. I know there are thousands who feel the same about the world of Hogwarts, but with Max (formerly HBOMax) debuting a logo for the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, I have to wonder — is there anyone who actually wants a reboot?
What We Know About The Series
In early April, The Hollywood Reporter shared that a live-action Harry Potter series is coming to Max. The show is not set to be a new story in the world of Harry Potter, but instead a faithful adaptation of the original seven Harry Potter books.
The series is described as the following: “The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
It has also been announced that controversy-embroiled author J.K. Rowling will act as an executive producer on the show.
Do We Really Need A Reboot?
Potter fans, you’d think, would be overjoyed about getting a multi-year series that dives into the story of Harry Potter — especially with Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO and Max Content, sharing that he thinks it will be on par with Game of Thrones and other large HBO series, according to Entertainment Weekly.
However, a lot of the discourse from fans has been less than positive. After all, the movies, though omitting some key details, were a relatively faithful adaptation of the books and remain well-loved and watched to this day. The series being a retelling of exactly the same stories opens itself up to constant comparison to the films. The show even uses calling cards familiar to the movie with a similar logo and the same Hogwarts design.
Beyond that, there are many beloved novels that have yet to receive film or TV adaptations in any way, some that many fans wish would receive the Harry Potter treatment. Even within the world of Harry Potter, there are stories that have yet to be told outside of the books that fans are dying to see. Why Harry Potter again when we could see the First Wizarding War and the story of the Marauders?
And we have to note that the Fantastic Beasts film franchise has been considered an immense failure with low box office turnout for the theatrical release of the third film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, that netted it the spot of all-time lowest-grossing film in the franchise’s history, per Collider. When a departure from the original story was widely disliked, does a re-do of the original really fix the problem?
The Rowling Controversy
Much of the negativity toward the show has come in response to the close ties that the Harry Potter property naturally holds to its controversial creator — and the money that will go directly into her pocket if the show is successful.
Rowling has been heavily criticized by those who were longtime fans of her works and by LGBTQIA+ organizations for sharing harmful anti-trans rhetoric tied to the TERF movement (Trans-exclusionary Radical Feminists). Rowling has shared and adamantly defended the view that trans women are not women, which has caused many, including core actors from the original movie series, to denounce her comments.
Where some fans argue that we should be able to separate Rowling’s work, a story that many believe to be about unconditional love and acceptance, from its creator, others argue that putting more money into Rowling’s pockets and furthering her influence only gives her transphobic platform more weight.
It’s a complicated issue, and one that has become a major conversation across social media for years now. Any Harry Potter-related releases reignite the conversation. The recent release of the Hogwarts Legacy video game saw record sales, but also calls for a boycott — despite having no input from Rowling and introducing the Wizarding World’s first transgender character.
The Max Harry Potter show only exacerbates the usual conversation by directly involving Rowling. Many have shared concerns about the children who will be cast in the show and tie their careers to Rowling before being able to understand the complexity of the controversy surrounding her.
From that perspective, there are many that don’t want any Harry Potter content — or at least not any that is so directly tied to Rowling.
The Reaction
Immediate reaction to the announcement has been passionate — with many fans firmly in a camp of not wanting the show, myself included. Though the Wizarding World is something I’m passionate about, there are so many stories that have yet to be told on the big or small screen. I would absolutely love to see the tale of the Marauders, what happens to the kids of the original trio, or even the Second Wizarding War told from another perspective.
Telling the story of Harry Potter again feels a little lazy when it was done well the first time. Even if the original films did omit some aspects of the books, the core story was faithfully and beautifully told.
I have seen some response from fans with excitement to see a true-to-the-books adaptation. One scene that I have always wished was shown in the movies is the pivotal scene revealing Snape’s secret in The Half Blood Prince and I get excited at the idea of seeing it depicted!
On the other hand, there are some aspects of the books that have garnered criticism, especially in regard to potentially harmful narratives. For instance, will the show represent the storyline of Hermione being ridiculed for trying to campaign against house elf slavery?
I know there are fans who are looking forward to the show, but I think there would have been a much wider positive reaction to the announcement of a Marauders-based show. To me, it feels weird to pour so much money into something that is unwanted by many before its even begun.
Frankly, when I can always reread the books and watch the movies to return to the Harry Potter story, I just wish we could explore another part of the world that I love.
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What is your response to the announcement of the new Harry Potter show? Let us know in the comments!
There are so many other things within the Wizarding World begging for a series! The Marauders, as mentioned, also had 7 eventful years at Hogwarts and would make for an incredible series about events we’re unfamiliar with. The stage play Puffs, about the Hufflepuffs during Harry’s years at Hogwarts, would be a unique take on the events we already know. I see no point in adapting the books for tv if the only intent is to be as faithful as possible. Good adaptations bring something new and refreshing to a well-loved story, not regurgitate it word for word onto a screenplay.
The casting will be key. But who will they get to replace the trio? Snape? Hagrid?