Disclaimer: This article solely reflects the author’s opinion. Reader discretion is advised.
After the eight movies of the Harry Potter franchise were released, fans were hoping for one thing. That is a book-accurate Harry Potter TV series rather than a movie. This was the hope even as the Fantastic Beasts movies were being developed with author J.K. Rowling as the writer. They were prequels set during the 1920s, decades before Voldemort’s rise or Harry Potter’s birth. But they weren’t as popular and successful as the Harry Potter movies.
As the pandemic was raining across the world back in 2020, there were whispers of a Harry Potter TV series being developed. However, it wasn’t until 12th April 2023 that reports came out about multiple seasons based on each of the seven books being developed for HBO. However, by then, the consensus was waning towards Harry Potter. Plus, despite their shortcomings, the movies are beloved.
Harry Potter TV series explained:
The general reception of an official confirmation of a Harry Potter TV series has been mixed. While some fans are excited about the show, others are skeptical because the Harry Potter IP was already adapted to the big screen. The show has some brilliant talent behind the scenes, so there might still be hope.
For instance, in July 2024, it was announced that Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod would be the showrunner and the director for the HBO Harry Potter TV series, respectively. During the past few months, exciting casting rumors regarding the cast have also been circulating amongst well-reputed news sources like Variety and Deadline.
But the question still needs to be answered. Despite the wonderful talent behind the scenes, will the series hold a candle to the movies that came before?
And what about the overall feel and vibe of the show? Using the same set and location will make the Harry Potter TV series pointless. Why adapt the books again as multiple seasons of TV if the makers will use the same Hogwarts and the same music? One of the things that stood out negatively in the official announcement video was the usage of John Williams’ music.
“Hedwig’s Theme” played across the seven movies (except for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 because the owl died in part one). Will the makers of this show have the fortitude to create something new? Also, will the seasons adapt things left out of the movies? Technically, if the promises are something to go by, the answer is yes.
How can the Harry Potter TV series be different from the movies?
On 5th December 2024, Mylod and Gardiner promised the fans that the Harry Potter TV series would delve deeper into the Harry Potter lore. This aspect excites fans as the movies left out a lot of important details that would’ve made sense in future movies. The discrepancy is felt mostly throughout the runtime of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2.
The sixth movie had cut out the entirety of Voldemort’s backstory, which would’ve given an insight into the villain. This insight would’ve explained away Voldemort’s choice of Horcruxes, too. However, that’s not the case in the movies; they add some sinister music that only Harry can hear in the presence of another Horcrux.
The movies, except for the first three and the fifth one, leave out most classes that Harry and his fellow pupils have to take. The show will have a major competitive edge over the movies that focus on blockbuster elements like action and romance. Do you know about Professor Binns, the ghost teacher who takes the History of Magic class? He was left out of the movies. Did you know Dumbledore asked calmly if Harry entered the competition in Goblet of Fire? He didn’t in the movie.
Did you know there are more than just two pensive memories in Half-Blood Prince? The movie cut that out completely. This decision received fan backlash, and despite that, the filmmakers went ahead. Many Potterheads regard Half-Blood Prince as the absolute worst of the Harry Potter film franchise. A Harry Potter TV series adapting the Half-Blood Prince may do a better job at adapting the book.
However, that doesn’t mean any changes shouldn’t be made.
What changes can the Harry Potter TV series make?
Over the years, fans have opined that both books and movies did Cho Chang dirty. So, the makers of the Harry Potter TV series can look at the variety of commentary regarding Cho and make changes to her characters accordingly. More importantly, the talent behind the Harry Potter TV series should also consider changing the character’s name. Many have pointed out that “Cho” is a common Korean surname, and “Chang” is a Korean and Chinese surname.
While the jury is still out on the Harry Potter TV series, the talent behind the scenes does give us hope. While no release date is in sight, it was announced on 5th December 2024 that the show will start production in Summer 2025 and stream on Max.
Comment below on what other changes you would like to see in the Harry Potter TV series.