We’re off to Hogwarts once again! HBO has recently announced they would be creating a Harry Potter reboot following more closely the plots of the original J.K Rowling series. This announcement unsurprisingly has left many fans divided on the idea of a new Harry Potter cast. I wanted to weigh in on the debate and explore some of the reasons why I’m happy and not so happy about the idea of a reboot.
Good or Bad?
I have been a fan of the Harry Potter films for many years but only recently read the books. By reading the books I developed a new appreciation for the series and understanding of the backstory to many characters and scenes that were missing from the films. In my opinion, the films are elite and I cannot count how many times I have re-watched the films. It is a regular event. I grew up watching the films and eagerly anticipated the next release, I also grew up near Leavesden Studios where the majority of the films were produced. I remember driving past and tying to sneak a glimpse of the magic of film, unfortunately I only saw scaffolding – but the magic was there. The magic and nostalgia that the films hold for me is very special and the films and books are still very much relevant to popular culture. It has a timeless classic feel. Therefore, I am very unsure how to feel about recasting the iconic cast of actors and rebooting this for another generation.
I am interested in the HBO series being more book accurate and as I was reading the books and then rewatching the films I noticed many gaps between the two. For example, I think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favourite film and book in the series as it is the most book accurate, whereas Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my second favourite book as it delved deeper into character development and background but I did feel this development was missing from the film. I still love the film and it did well to replicate many iconic scenes but I wanted to see the relationship between Sirius Black and Harry Potter more on screen. This is an important plot point that is missing.
I think the reboot will offer a way to explore these plot points in more detail just by the nature of a series having more time to develop over many episodes, whereas films have a limited run time. Taking this point on board this is a positive for the reboot. Another point that needs to be considered is that technology has advanced since the 2000s and the use of green screen has evolved, so this allows more opportunity to create elaborate and jaw dropping sets. However, as a counter-point to this idea I believe that the sets are iconic and truly capture the magic and atmosphere of Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. I think fans will always be comparing the film with the tv series and this is the same with the casting for the actors.
Other reboot ideas
There have been many fanfictions, fan casts and discussions in the Harry Potter fandom surrounding the idea of a prequel to Harry Potter that follows the Marauders – Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs – James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. This is a major plot point throughout the books and Pettigrew’s betrayal of the Potters to Voldemort. The prequel could be a short tv series that explores their time at Hogwarts, their relationship with Severus Snape and how Lily and James fell in love. This show would then finish with the night Voldemort enters Godrick Hollow and murders the Potters. We could then see the scene that Sirius describes in Prisoner of Azkaban where he confronts Pettigrew and he turns into a rat and frames Sirius for murder. I think this would add more depth to the original films and book series that explores characters we see as adults or not at all. Another idea that I have seen circling is The Black sisters – Andromeda, Bellatrix and Nascissa. These characters are touched upon in the books as Bellatrix the devoted servant to Voldemort, Narcissa devoted to her family and son Draco and Andromeda helping the Order hide Harry in the last book, Deathly Hallows. A spin-off series that explores these characters and how they parallel with the marauders is an interesting concept.
The Fantastic Beasts films explored the 1920s Wizarding World in the USA with Newt Scamander and Grindelwald. This was an interesting attempt at expanding the magic worldwide. I think exploring the other magic schools like Durmstrang, Beauxbatons and Ilvermorny that is mentioned in Fantastic Beasts and the Goblet of Fire. These are all viable options to explore that continues to expand the magic of the wizarding world without rebooting the original and potentially failing to live up to the hype and success of the original.
Final thoughts
I am still have mixed feelings about the reboot but I am excited to see how this more book accurate series spends time exploring these characters in more depth. I want to see many scenes and character interactions that were missing from the films. I hope the casting can live up to the pretty incredible standards of the films as well as recapturing the magic of the sets. I am still hoping the marauders get some attention in the future and I would like more Sirius Black on screen. Overall, I am intrigued in what this new era of magic will entail.
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