“Harry Potter” series confirmed: pros and cons of the new edition
Andreas Rivera
April 14, 2023 7:50 am
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5 min read
The Harry Potter series is now definitely confirmed and fans are divided to say the least. You can find out what speaks for and against the new edition here.
But since there is already a very popular series of films about the “Harry Potter” heptalogy, as is often the case with such prospects, the bite reflex should set in for some fans. Opinions like “there’s no need for a reboot – and certainly not that soon” and “that’s just soulless money making” certainly prevail in the discussion about this series. We’ll tell you here why we’re going to give it a chance despite a slight stomach rumbling.
You can find all further information about the confirmation of the “Harry Potter” series in our reading tip:
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Désirée: The “Harry Potter” series is a must for me – despite all my misgivings
First things first: I am a huge Harry Potter nerd, know the books inside out and the films are simply a part of the Christmas season for me. For me, “Harry Potter” is nostalgic feel-good escapism at its finest and, to a certain extent, also a “safe space”. My relationship with the franchise has been all the more difficult since J.K. Rowling attracted attention with her anti-trans statements, which I, like countless other fans, consider to be highly problematic and which clearly cloud my enjoyment of one of my favorite universes. The well-known question of the separation of artist and work often worries me here.
On the other hand, I’m still a big fan of the world and not without reason I consume books and films again and again. While the Cursed Child sequel and Fantastic Beasts prequels are nice, going back to the original setting has a very special appeal for me.
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One thing in particular has always bothered me about the films: Many characters have been flattened compared to the book version in order to better fit the Hollywood logic. Harry is much more quick-witted and sarcastic in the books, Ron is more intelligent and courageous. There is even some subtle sexism here: Hermione, for example, is less normal and perfect in the books. And from Ginny’s transformation from a tough, self-reliant young woman to just being an appendage of Harry, I’d better not even get started. So I’d really like to see a more book-like and nuanced development of the characters in the Harry Potter series.
In the end, due to my weakness for the franchise and out of curiosity, I’m pretty sure I’ll tune in… at least the first few episodes. And then decide if the reinterpretation is worth supporting a creator whose work I still love, but who I can no longer stand behind as a person.
Andi: A bit early, but the series could do a lot better than the movies
Imagine if George Lucas turned up in 1995 and announced that he wanted to remake his “Star Wars” trilogy. Or the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) would have unveiled plans in 2020 to simply reshoot the first three phases of Marvel films. At first glance, this planned project looks similar to wanting to start the “Harry Potter” series from the beginning only twelve years after the end of the film adaptations.
Especially since the reason for this plan seems to be obvious: Warner Bros. Discovery has a mountain of debt of almost 50 billion US dollars. That’s why you want to focus on established franchises as well as the “Lord of the Rings” series, for which new films are planned. A “Harry Potter” series accompanies the promise to make the newly created streaming service Max – a combination of HBO Max and Discovery+ – palatable to subscribers.
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And yet I can’t help but see the potential of a Harry Potter series. With all the love for the films: they still have their weaknesses, which mainly result from the comparatively short playing time. With a whole season per book, you would probably have a good eight to ten hours of running time for each individual part, which is a good four times more than was the case with the films. A number of details, subplots and even popular characters such as the poltergeist Peeves, which had to be eliminated from the cinema adaptations, could finally be done justice in the series. The worst movie in my opinion is The Half-Blood Prince for a reason, as the compelling backstories from the book weren’t portrayed well and at the end it didn’t even really explain why Snape is the Half-Blood Prince. Maybe this time you’ll find a Dumbledore who really calmly asks if Harry put his name in the Goblet of Fire…
As always, a new adaptation will see people discovering the magical world of Harry Potter for the first time, and the fandom shouldn’t mind welcoming new members. Ultimately, of course, everything stands and falls with the quality of the series, but even if the fans don’t like them, they still have the films and the books and even a horrible series adaptation can’t take that away from them. What bothers me more about this news is that Joanne K. Rowling is supposed to be involved in the series despite her anti-trans statements, maybe even as a producer. So she can rake in millions more; however, given their already unimaginable wealth, it must be said that that train has already left. But her continued influence in this franchise, where many fans are trying to separate her work from her, already adds a bitter aftertaste to the series.
When exactly the “Harry Potter” series will start is still unclear, as are a number of other details that we will probably only receive with an official announcement.
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