The Potential and Risks for the Harry Potter TV series

Harry Potter/Wizarding World has been a franchise that has been around for nearly 30 years. It has spanned novels, spin-off books, films, a play, and video games. It has been one of Warner Brothers’ most popular properties and they plan to adapt the original books into a TV series for Max to be released in 2026. Considering the enduring legacy and popularity of the franchise we shall look at how the series can be adapted and the potential issues it can experience.

Harry Potter hardly needs an introduction. The original novels lasted for seven books and were a huge success, and it was adapted into eight films. The Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films were able to make $9.7 billion worldwide and the Harry Potter films were well received by critics and audiences. However, the success of the original films will be a drawback for the TV series. The series will live in the shadow of the films and there are already questions on whether a TV reboot is necessary. Much of the Harry Potter iconography is based on the films, like the Wizarding World at Universal Studios and the Warner Bros. Tour Studios in Leavesden is a popular tourist attraction. In London it’s possible to do a Harry Potter tour and some sights like the Glenfinnan Viaducts which highlight their Harry Potter association. The franchise is still a merchandising juggernaut. This would lead to a dilemma for the showrunners, if they stick to the look of the films then it would add to questions about why the series needs to be made, but radical change could turn off long-time fans.

When the Harry Potter films were made they were able to attract the cream of British acting. The films had the likes of Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, and Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort. Much of the casting was pitch-perfect, like Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, which was amazing considering she wasn’t the first choice. The toughest role for any actor to fill will be Professor Snape since Alan Rickman made the role better than he was on the page. It would be a daunting cast for any actor to take a role after the great Alan Rickman. The TV series would need to match the calibre of these actors and a TV series could be more of a commitment than the film series.

However, there is a narrow path for the TV series since the longer form can be more detailed. JK Rowling did create a wonderfully rich world that drew in readers. The books got longer as they progressed, but the film series ended up having to cut a lot of subplots and worldbuilding and just focused on the main plot. This meant The Goblet of Fire and The Half-Blood Prince were stripped-down adaptations. Warner Brothers did consider splitting The Goblet of Fire into two films since the source material was so dense. The TV series could bring back these subplots, like Hermione becoming an activist for House Elves, Harry, Hermione, and the Wesleys visiting St Mungo’s Hospital and discovering Neville Longbottom’s parents were tortured to insanity, and Harry discovering the truth of Voldemort’s origins through multiple Pensieves. I did write an article about potential Harry Potter spin-offs, and it wouldn’t be surprising if some of the ideas would be made into episodes like the Founding of Hogwarts, showing the Marauders’ schooldays, and showing events from the First Wizarding War.

Six out of the seven books were school stories but as the films progressed any of the school elements were toned down. The series can put more emphasis on school life at Hogwarts. There can be more Quidditch, something that was missing in the fourth and fifth films. As the characters grow older they can be more emphasised on the characters’ romantic lives, like Harry’s first crush being on Cho Chang, Hermoine going to the Yule Ball with Victor Klum, and Harry feeling conflicted when he develops feelings for Ginny.

If the series does stick closely to the plot of the books then it does face a big issue: adapting the first two books. The first two films were incredibly faithful adaptations of the first two books. The stuff that was changed and omissions were mild, like the potions trial to get the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine going to Nearly Headless Nick’s party, and Hermoine describing what ‘Mudblood’ meant instead of Ron. Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets were fairly short novels which made them perfect for film adaptations. The TV adaptation would probably follow the example of His Dark Materials and expand the story beyond the viewpoint of the main characters. The first series could show more of Harry’s life before he found out he was a wizard, whilst the second season could have an episode of the founding of Hogwarts and the origins of the Chamber of Secrets. The series will need to get past the first two seasons before it can have its own identity.

The series’ special effects would need to match the quality of the films. Fortunately, Max’s sister company, HBO has proven themselves with special effects-heavy TV shows. They made Game of Thrones which set the modern standard for cinematic TV, whilst a show like His Dark Materials had strong visual effects. Like Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials, Harry Potter is a fantasy property, so the experience developed for those projects could be used on Harry Potter.

The current political climate is tense. People on both sides of the aisle can get easily offended and make their feelings known online. It’s easy to find articles saying Millennials and Gen Z are offended by certain films or TV shows, whilst on YouTube there are plenty of channels where they complain that everything is ‘woke.’ The Harry Potter series will probably be a target from both sides of the culture war. J. K. Rowling has become infamous for her anti-Trans views which has led to LGBTQ rights campaigners and left-leaning commentators criticising the author. When Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released there were Twitter commentors saying they would boycott the film because of Rowling. However, I believe that if the show’s good people will watch it, and if it’s bad they won’t. The people who refuse to watch the show for political reasons will be in the minority.

More right-leaning commentators were upset when Harry Potter and the Cursed Child cast a black actress as Hermonie and Rowling stated that she always envisioned the character to be black. There were questions about how genuine Rowling was with these statements. Hermonie will probably be black to add a bit of diversity to the main trio. There would be plenty of Black British actresses who could play the role and if she performs well audiences would accept her. Black actors in main roles were accepted by audiences in Percy Jackson and the Olympians and His Dark Materials so it’s possible for Harry Potter. A black Hermoine could lead to an opportunity for some social commentary since she could be a victim of racism in both the Muggle World and the Wizarding World.

As a franchise, Harry Potter has never lacked diversity. Dean Thomas and Angelina Johnson were black and the Patil twins were of Indian heritage, so the series could beef up their roles. Someone that would need to be changed is Cho Chang’s name which has been criticised for being implausible since ‘Cho’ and ‘Chang’ are surnames. Something more culturally appropriate would be needed. However, YouTubers like “The Cynical Dunkard” and “Geekrotic” (I refuse to use these channels’ real names or link to them) will milk any ‘woke’ controversy for all its worth. I worry for any young actors who would be cast in the series. Look at how Kelly Marie Tran was hounded off social media after the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The Harry Potter TV Series will face many challenges, from legitimate concerns about the show’s quality and reasons why it is being made, to culture war warriors who will be looking to milk the series for their financial ends. I am cynical about the reasons why the series is being made but I hope it’s good and hopefully, it could introduce a new generation to the Wizarding World.