Well it’s official, the magic has left the Wizarding World. In a decision that may go down in entertainment infamy, HBO has decided to reboot the Harry Potter franchise as a television series. Seriously, who was asking for this to happen?
Despite the headlines surrounding author J.K. Rowling, the story of the boy who lives remains one of the most beloved bits of contemporary literature — and for good reason. It’s a tale of love, loss, victory, and defeat. An allegory filled with magic and hope, for times when things may seem a bit hopeless. The eight films made from that source material are equally revered, and as a phenomenon in their own right, are truly timeless.
Which begs the ultimate question; why the heck would HBO do this to us?
The Harry Potter movies, and all the bits of popular culture therein are (as the user above puts it) perfect — and many feel they don’t need remaking, especially with their cinematic legacy still intact; to announce a reboot now seems almost like franchise suicide.
Plenty of people have taken to Twitter to voice their disdain, and if one thing is clear, it’s that you never want to piss off the Harry Potter fandom — they’ll cast a curse faster than you can say Quidditch.
It’s true that whoever ends up taking over as Harry, Hermione, and Ron have some incredibly large shoes to fill. The trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are as iconic as any pairing of actors ever seen, and the world is so much better off with them in it.
Still, it’s not just the franchise big three that will be hard to emulate. Alan Rickman as Snape, Tom Felton as Malfoy, Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, Maggie Smith as McGonagall, or Evanna Lynch as Luna are unforgettable. Oh, and who the heck is going to beat Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort? The guy still gives us nightmares.
In the end, there’s no real way to sugar-coat why HBO would do this in the first place. Harry Potter is a cash cow. The books, movies, games, amusement parks generate tons of cash for Warner Bros. — continuing to create content is a way to ensure the property stays profitable. Thankfully, there is a tiny silver lining to all of this.
Having a limited Harry Potter series would mean that each book could be explored in more depth, giving each book an entire season to breath. Taking a deeper dive into that world is never a bad thing in our minds, and if done well (although unlikely) the show could blow our collective minds. Though, will it happen? Only time will tell.
The harsh reality is that no amount of fan backlash will change the rebooting, at least, probably. Fan campaigns have certainly be successful in the past, so here’s hoping that Potter fans will band together and destroy the coming evil.
