HBO has aHarry Pottershow coming out in 2026, and it is shaping up nicely, but oneHarry Potterstar pointed out the potential problems with the remake. TheHarry Potterreboot comes after Warner Bros.' incredibly successful movie series, beginning in 2001 withtheHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonemovieand ending in 2011 withHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The upcoming TV show has big boots to fill, with the resounding impact of the movies behind it and a point to prove.
The HBOHarry PotterTV showwill have to prove its reason for existing in its first season, which may be a challenge when J.K. Rowling’s stories were told so well by the movies. Directed by Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuarón, Mike Newell, and David Yates, this eight-movie series adapted the lastPotternovel in two parts, to allow for a lengthier exploration of events. TheHarry PotterTV show, which began casting in September, is expected to run for at least seven seasons, faithfully reflecting roughly one book per season. But it will have to do more than that to succeed, as Fiona Shaw highlighted in recent comments.
Fiona Shaw’s Harry Potter Comments Highlight The Problem With HBO’s Remake
Fiona Shaw Voiced The Concern That Many Have About The Harry Potter Show
Petunia Dursley actress Fiona Shaw commented onthe upcomingHarry Potterremakeand speculated on its purpose, vocalizing the question that many have and underlining a key issue with the show. Speaking toPeopleabout the HBO remake, Shaw said “I wish them well. I mean,can stories be retold? They must be retold over time. It seems to me no time [has passed] since we told it, but maybe it’s [for] a whole new generation.“Shaw spoke for many when she wondered out loud whether it was too soon for a remake.
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Like the movies, the TV show will be based on J.K. Rowling’s seven-book series, published between 1997 and 2007. Despite some key changes, the movies followed the books reasonably closely and are fairly well-regarded. So, there is no cause to rebootHarry Potterbased on failure on the movies' part. It is too soon after the movies were made for the production quality to appear seriously dated, sothe franchise isn’t calling out for modern technology. The movies' main themes are timeless, so it is, at first glance, hard to imagine what a new generation requires from a rebootedHarry Potter.
The Upcoming Harry Potter TV Show Must Juggle Multiple Audiences
The HBO Show Must Impress New And Old Fans
TheHarry PotterTV remakefaces a challenge that the movies didn’t - it must juggle multiple audiences. HBO is clearly seeking to engage a nostalgic generation of millennials and capture their viewership with itsHarry PotterTV reboot.Bids for nostalgia can be transparent, so this appeal will have to be meaningful, rather than hollow. This will mean that it must bring something new to the table, otherwise, this audience will switch off quickly. Meanwhile, it can’t step too far from the books and movies in terms of narrative, else it will ignite controversy and likewise, lose this audience quickly.
The newHarry Potterhas an in for Zoomer loyalty but must grab their attention.
Meanwhile, HBO is targeting a new audience. Generation Z did not grow up withHarry Potterthe way that millennials did. And yet, their online habits dictate a lot of the trends and sales that occur in the media, film, and TV, since they have a massive online presence.Harry Potteris huge enough, as a franchise, to affect Zoomers, regardless of whether they grew up withHarry Potter. It is tattooed across merchandise the Western world over, from pencil cases and phone covers to T-shirts. The newHarry Potterhas an in for Zoomer loyalty but must grab their attention.
How HBO Can Modernize Harry Potter & Make Its Remake Worthwhile
HBO Can Bring New Meaning To Harry Potter
There are a few ways to ensure that theHarry Potterremake has meaning and can reach multiple audiences, rather than being a cheap appeal to nostalgia or a clunky misfire. Firstly, the remake can address the criticism surrounding the movies and books regarding diversity.A frequent complaint about the story is its lack of racial representationor representation of the LGBTQI+ spectrum. The main cast of the movies is all white,althoughHarry Potter and the Cursed Childaddressed this. Minority figures, like Cho Chang, didn’t receive the best writing in the script.
Albus Dumbledore can be actually gay in theHarry Pottershow, as opposed to being a mystery on-screen but described as gay by Rowling in an interview.
While the writing of Chang appeared a little one-dimensional in the movies, theHarry PotterTV series has the chance to dive deep into her and other characters. Having multiple seasons to breathe into J.K. Rowling’s story,HBO can finally do justice to Chang and Lavender Brown, who was whitewashed by the movies in her recasting. Perhaps most excitingly, Albus Dumbledore can be actually gay in theHarry Pottershow, as opposed to being a mystery on-screen but described as gay by Rowling in an interview.
All eightHarry Pottermovies can be streamed on Peacock in the U.S.
TheHarry Pottershow can also tackle the points of the movies that were unfaithful to the books, improving the franchise’s faithfulness to Rowling’s brilliant story.Sirius Black and Harry’s relationship suffered a serious diminishmentin the movies, which should be corrected. But the most important way for the HBO show to set itself apart is to modernize the stories on-screen and give them a whole new relevance. For instance,Lavender and Ron’s love potion arc inHarry Pottercould be transformed into a consent parable, without decreasing faithfulness. There is much hope for theHarry PotterTV show, despite valid concerns.
Harry Potter
Cast
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
