Harry Potter is undoubtedly one of the most successful and beloved fantasy franchises of the last few decades. The books are a deep dive into the wizarding world, while the movies bring that world to life. However, given the recent controversies regarding JK Rowling, the lack of diversity, and a few storylines, the upcoming HBO reboot will need to address and fix some major issues that the original films ignored.
HBO has shown they are more than capable of adapting fantasy books into shows with Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, but this time, the stakes are higher. Harry Potter is a nostalgic topic for many. The franchise has eight original films and three spin-off films. Thus, the show will have to do a better job of using the source material while rectifying the mistakes the movies made. However, fans do love the films, and while changes need to be made, HBO can't stray too far away.
What changes can make the Harry Potter reboot successful?
While the show is not going to come out soon, it is in the works, and fans are crossing their fingers, hoping to see some change. HBO will hopefully take advantage of the runtime to explore storylines ignored in the films and dig deeper into certain characters.
One of the key storylines fans wish to see in the show is that of the Marauder's Map. We see the map in the films, but it is not well explained. Perhaps a flashback showing its creation by the four marauders, James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, will be an effective way to address such an essential part of the story.
In most of the films, we see Snape as a one-dimensional antagonist. He is shown as the professor who does not like Harry and is never in a good mood. It is only in the last film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, that we find out he loves Lily and has been protecting Harry all this time. The show will fare well if the creators dig deeper into Snape's character and do not keep him so one-dimensional.
Diversity has been a big issue in the original films. Most characters with considerable screen time are white. Only Cho Chang and the Patil sisters were characters of color in the films. Fans have expressed wishes for more diverse characters in the show to make it more realistic and relatable to everyone. However, the castings shouldn't be solely about proper representation but also about the actors' capabilities.
Many film or series adaptations of fantasy novels fail to follow the source material. Given the fanbase the Harry Potter books have, it is crucial that showrunners respect the source material and do not make any drastic changes. Often, creators stray away from essential character arcs or backstories or even create new plotlines for shows that understandably do not sit right with fans. Hopefully, HBO's decisions will ensure fans' happiness and satisfaction.
The Harry Potter reboot is set to release in 2027. No dates have been confirmed by HBO yet.
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