HBO is taking a bold step in attempting to reignite the Wizarding World by ordering an entire Harry Potter series. The network has acquired the rights to create a Harry Potter television series just over a decade since the film franchise came to an end, but the reaction to this news has been mixed to say the least. Now, we have to wonder just how the young stars who will step into these roles will navigate the extremely tricky world they are about to enter.
The Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling are beloved by millions across the globe, with the first book, the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone if you’re from outside the U.S.) selling more than 120 million copies, making it one of the best-selling non-fiction books of all time. They were then adapted into a popular film series that spanned a decade from 2001 to 2011.
These films have cemented themselves in the minds of fans with the cast, in particular, having become synonymous with the characters. It is hard to near impossible to think of Harry Potter without imagining Daniel Radcliffe, or Professor Snape without thinking of Alan Rickman. The idea that these characters will now be recast is what has a lot of people concerned, and without a doubt, no matter who they cast, comparisons are going to be made.
Herein lies the difficulty, and a small level of worry, over the casting of new, young actors to play the roles of the students, particularly the lead trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Taking on a beloved character that is so entrenched in the cultural mind of society is tricky for anyone, let alone an 11-year-old. It was a big ask of Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson who basically sacrificed normal childhoods to star in these films, living out their teenage years on a movie set.
Luckily for them, they were the first to tackle the role, and other than comparisons fans could make between the book and the films, there were no other comparisons to be made. No other actor had ever played these characters before. It will be quite a different story for the actors looking to step into their shoes in the HBO adaption, a daunting task for even the most veteran actors. Is it really fair to expect or ask so much of someone so young?
The world is a harsh place, and with the advent of social media, which wasn’t really around as much when the first few Harry Potter movies came out, it has only gotten harsher. Today, people troll and spew venom using the anonymity of their usernames and handles while sitting safely behind their screens. It won’t matter to many of these people that they are dealing with kids, they can and will be cruel.
Already debates are being waged on the actress who will be cast as Hermione, with many hoping for a Black actress to take on the role, and The Little Mermaid has already shown us the backlash that can come when diversity is added to the mix. While there are measures that can be put into place to protect the young actors from this, it will be very hard to completely shield them from whatever is to come their way.
Even if the series is a roaring success and their performances lauded, there is still going to be a subset online that will find a way to belittle the actors, especially if they are diehard stalwart fans of the original actors’ performances. Look at what happened to actors who were involved in any Star Wars film that did not have the fortune of being the original trilogy.
The media as well can and will be gross, lest we forget how some publications had a disgusting countdown just before Watson turned 18 and therefore “legal.” We can of course say this of all young actors, it is an unfortunate reality of being in the public eye, but with the megalith that is Harry Potter it takes on newer and scarier proportions.
It is not only the nostalgia for the old films that the actors will have to be aware of but also the culture war that is currently taking place around the franchise thanks to its controversial creator. Rowling has been at the forefront of the conversation surrounding transgender people, with her views on the matter upsetting the community deeply. The author has made a number of statements that were dismissive of the trans experience, starting back in June 2020.
She has since doubled down on her statements, drawing ire from the LGBTQ+ community, many of who felt betrayed by her as they had fallen in love with her books that preached messages of acceptance and love. Since then, many former fans of the books and films have decided to boycott any further work from the author or anything that may add to her already enormous wealth. The idea that she will be profiting further from this show will likely cause people to direct their anger at it, and by extension, those involved in the project.
The film’s actors have already had to come forward with their own statements on the issue, distancing themselves from the author and her views and generally placing themselves within the argument which may not have happened prior to Rowling’s statements. In a similar way, these new actors may be expected to cultivate their own response to the issues, which is a huge burden to place on someone who may not want to be involved in the conversation but feel thrust into it nonetheless, having to choose their words carefully for fear of inciting rage or hatred.
This is a lot to ask of anyone, let alone the child actors that will be taking on these monumental roles that will likely consume their lives for several years to come. It is one thing as an adult to commit to something for such a long period of time, but for a child, it is an extremely difficult concept to comprehend no matter how mature they are. It is, then, very easy to worry for the future of the actors who are cast in this HBO series, a series that could potentially set them up for life, or see them thrown to the proverbial wolves that society often takes the form of.
We can only hope that the vast majority of people will treat the actors with the humanity and respect that they deserve and understand that they are just children. Let’s not place our entire hopes for the series on their shoulders, let’s not expect them to have taken a side in the debates that wage around the author, let’s give them the space to make the characters their own, and let’s applaud them for their bravery for taking on such a daunting task and hope that the experience is a thrilling and rewarding one for them.
Published: Apr 12, 2023 09:38 pm