You’d think HBO would have learned its lesson by now, but the premium network has recently made reboots its main priority. Next on the docket is the Harry Potter franchise itself. Heaven, help us.
It’s not that remakes, reboots, and requels don’t work. It’s that they tend to tarnish the memories of those who enjoyed the originals. And Harry Potter is right up there with Star Wars.
HBO has a big undertaking with The Wizarding World franchise ahead of them, but Warner Bros. has been handling the movies for almost three decades.
They should know what they are doing — emphasis on “should.” However, this TV venture hasn’t exactly gotten off on the right foot.
As it stands, the Harry Potter HBO series will either be a total success or an utter flop. There’s just as much bad working for it as there is good.
Is J.K. Rowling Helping or Hurting HBO’s Efforts?
Do you want the good news or the bad news first? Well, depending on how you look at it, it’s more like bad news or opinionated news.
The bottom line is that J.K. Rowling is “persona non grata” in the entertainment industry. In case you haven’t heard, she has some rather strong viewpoints. The kind that actors like Eddie Redmayne have condemned.
While we would love to separate the art from the artist, it’s kind of hard when she keeps doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down on her “particular” beliefs.
Sadly, we can’t talk about the Harry Potter franchise without mentioning its creator and all the drama surrounding her. However, I’m not here to get into her messiness.
Feel however you want to feel. We’re not here to get political. We’re here to talk about whether or not this show is going to be a disaster.
Right now, Rowling’s drama is working against the upcoming HBO series. However, there is still hope.
With a cast of enough talented actors, adults may be able to look past J.K.’s thoughts and appreciate the nostalgia that a fresh story for a new generation can bring.
From what has been seen of the already-cast characters, we are in good hands.
Can Incredible Casting Overcome Fan Sentiment?
First, when I heard about the Harry Potter books being rebooted into a television series, I immediately groaned. Why do we need a show when the movies still hold up?
It’s a fair question because even after over a decade since the last Harry Potter film was released, people still enjoy them on MAX like they came out last week.
Sure, there was a lot from the books that never got touched on, like Rita Skeeter being an Animagus. I don’t know why, but it always bugged me, pun intended, that the movies left that fun fact out.
However, as exciting as those movies still are, those things are damn long, so I can get that, for the story’s sake, things had to be left out.
In that regard, we older fans of the franchise can at least look forward to seeing things we never got a chance to see in theaters.
And, if I’m being honest, the cast so far is mostly spectacular — mostly. For starters, we have John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore. Yeah, that’s, uh, great, right? Right?
Look, Lithgow is a fantastic actor. Really and truly. But when I think about Dumbledore’s soft-spoken wisdom and ethereal nature, I don’t think of John Lithgow.
To be fair, I doubt anyone will ever live up to Richard Harris, but Michael Gambon did a phenomenal job with the part when Harris passed.
Albus is meant to evoke the feeling of being ancient and wise, but also clever and mischievous. Is that something Lithgow can pull off? Maybe from his days on Dexter, but that’s a weird role to draw from for this.
I’ll tell you who I am absolutely living for casting-wise. Minerva McGonagall. Holy moly, the casting director absolutely nailed it.
If you haven’t heard, Janet McTeer will wear the conical hat of everyone’s favorite shapeshifting professor.
I know McTeer isn’t a household name, but you’ve likely seen her while at least perusing Netflix shows like Jessica Jones or Kaos. She is an amazing actress with incredible range.
And then to have Nick Frost of Hot Fuzz and Sean of the Dead fame as Rubeus Hagrid is the kind of perfect casting that feels supernatural.
When Patrick Stewart was cast as Professor X, the character seemed to have jumped right off the page.
So, if we base things on where we are with casting, then the Harry Potter series will do great on HBO.
However, if we base it on the fact that it’s a book-to-streaming project, we may be in trouble.
Book-to-Streaming Is a Hit or Miss, and Nothing Is Guaranteed
Lately, networks have been trying everything in their power to get back in the black. There have been a lot of highs and lows in the industry.
TV saw a huge increase during the pandemic, but it took a massive hit during the strikes when people had to find other things to occupy their time.
Now, television is scrambling to find what audiences want to watch, and the easiest way to do that is to tap into existing fan bases.
However, viewers are much more discerning now than ever. Slapping together a slightly updated version of a story rarely worked before, and it really doesn’t work now.
Recently, Peacock tried to adapt Vampire Academy to disastrous results. Someone needs to put a stake through the heart of that undead franchise because it has no life left in it.
No one wants to see the Harry Potter franchise undergo the same treatment. We’ve already had a near miss with the last Fantastic Beasts movie.
It was a great movie compared to many other big-budget flops, but the bar for Harry Potter movies was already in the stratosphere from years of hit after hit.
So, can HBO’s Harry Potter series work? We should be fine as long as Warner Bros. throws everything they have and then some at it.
Can you imagine the pressure the actors who get cast as Harry, Ron, and Hermione will be under?
Whenever the rest of the cast is announced, you can bet TV Fanatic will deliver the goods right here!
Are you planning to watch HBO’s Harry Potter series?
What do you think of the casting announcements so far?
You made it to the end — and that means a lot.
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