10 Reasons Why HBO's New Harry Potter Remake Will Fail & 10 Things It'll Do Better
10 Reasons Why HBO's New Harry Potter Remake Will Fail & 10 Things It'll Do Better
The Boy Who Lived Lives On, Whether We Like It Or Not
As with anything that has gained "cultural phenomenon" status, there is a lot of skepticism surrounding the upcoming HBO Harry Potter reboot, slated to premiere in 2027. When tampering with something as formative as Harry Potter was to a whole generation, HBO must tread lightly, especially considering the flops of recent spin-offs. However, with that skepticism comes a healthy amount of anticipation, considering the positive reputation of HBO and the promising casting decisions that have already been announced. Here are 10 reasons why the show is doomed to fail and 10 things it might actually do better.
1. The Casting
Given how perfect it was the first time around, casting for the new Harry Potter series will be a tall order. Even if they manage to fill the shoes of the likes of Alan Rickman and Robbie Coltrane, the new actors will be constantly compared to the original ones.
2. Random Timing
The magic of the original movies was that they coincided so perfectly with the release of the books. Releasing a TV series now, after most of the book fans have outgrown the Harry Potter universe altogether is risky as it may never find a target audience.
3. Fans Have Already Written It Off
Most real Harry Potter fans have already written off the new series as they are loyal to the original movies which many deem are near perfection. Even open-minded fans have a voice in their head saying "This isn't going to work."
4. Shifting Demographics
For Millennials. Harry Potter was part of the collective consciousness, but today, that same connection doesn't exist. Harry Potter didn't nearly make as much of an impact on the younger generation and Millennial fans are now full-grown adults who are more interested in doing adult things than watching this show.
5. It Follows A Series Of Spin-Off Failures
There was a time not long ago when film executives assumed anything under the Harry Potter brand would be a huge success, but looking at the performance of recent spin-offs, we've seen that's clearly not the case. Fantastic Beasts didn't even have a chance to reach its conclusion before being cut and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is generally considered terrible.
Dick Thomas Johnson from Tokyo, Japan on Wikimedia
6. Budget Pressure
A massive project like this, which HBO has committed a ten-year run to, comes with huge financial expectations. It's going to be expensive to produce and HBO is going to expect big returns on their investment. If it's not an immediate hit, the show might concede huge cuts to its budget for future seasons.
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7. High Expectations
As we saw with the failed spin-offs, Harry Potter fans are not the type to settle for a sub-par version of their deeply beloved story. The original films already have a legacy around them. This show is a second chance to improve on the things the original films failed to get right, so if it fails again, fans will see it as a wasted second chance.
8. It Will Be Constantly Compared To The Films
Although it's supposed to be based on the books, it will still be constantly compared to the films which are already iconic classics. It will be hard for fans to separate this new version from the original movies.
9. Harry Potter Fans Don't Want It
True Harry Potter fans have stated time and again that they don't want a TV series based on the same story the books and movies already tell. That's not to say they don't want Harry Potter Content: there are many opportunities for telling new stories set in the wizarding world instead of redoing the already-existing film franchise.
10. It's Not Clear Who The Target Audience Is
Harry Potter was a cultural phenomenon for Millennials, but it doesn't hold the same clout among Gen Zers. As such, it's hard to see who the target audience for it is, as the younger generation may not be interested and the content of the show might be too mature for them anyway, and the original Harry Potter fans are in their 30s or 40s.
Now that we've covered why the upcoming Harry Potter HBO series is likely to be a flop, let's talk about the reasons it might still be worth getting excited about.
1. More Faithful To The Books
The new series will be closely based on the books with each book being adapted into a whole season of episodes. Giving each book a dedicated season instead of trying to condense each one into a two or three-hour movie might allow them to be more faithful to the books and include more details.
2. Modern Visual Effects
While it might not feel like it, the first and second Harry Potter movies are already around 20 years old. As a result, some of the CGI looks a little dated. Getting to incorporate modern visuals will revamp the content and might make it more accessible to younger audiences.
3. A More Mature Tone
Because it's HBO, the new Harry Potter series is likely to have a more mature tone than the original movies which might appeal more to the adult fan base. The darker themes of the book were often softened by the PG-rated films.
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4. High Production Value
HBO has a reputation for creating high-quality TV series like The Last Of Us and Succession. Given their impressive track record for prestigious shows, we can expect them to do a good job of creating an immersive and visually stunning wizarding world.
BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash
5. Deeper Character Arcs
Harry Potter has no shortage of complex, morally grey characters like Professor Snape and Dumbledore, whose backstories were only touched upon in the films for lack of time. The show's longer running time may allow for greater depth and a nuanced portrayal of these characters.
6. Author's Involvement
Putting aside the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling, her involvement in the series indicates that they will stay true to the original book content. It's unclear what sort of power she has, but it's fair to assume that if she were staunchly against a decision, it just wouldn't fly.
7. Longer-Form Storytelling
As each book will get a whole season dedicated to it, we can expect the storytelling to be more in-depth. They can slow down key moments that felt rushed or only surface-level in the original films.
8. More In-Depth World-Building
J.K. Rowling created a whole universe that transcends the walls of Hogwarts. The longer running time of the show may allow for more world-building and exploration of the Wizarding World, putting on the screen for the first time places that just exist in our imaginations based on descriptions in the books.
9. Opportunity to Correct Film Mistakes
While the films are largely adored by Harry Potter fans, they weren't perfect. There were some mistakes, some pretty major ones, that the show has the opportunity to correct. Fans will be eager to see how well they do given a second chance.
10. Some Of The Casting Looks Promising
As mentioned above, the quality of the casting in the original films was chef's kiss perfect and while it'll be hard to match it, we have to admit that the actors announced so far are looking promising. Most notably, Nick Frost as Hagrid and John Lithgow as Dumbledore have got us excited.
