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Harry Potter may be getting a redux. I could insert some form of celebratory exclamation here, but do I want to? I’m not sure we need this. I’m on record as a Harry Potter admirer, albeit not an outright fan. That just means I tried reading the books but didn’t get into them. I didn’t watch the movies until my kid wanted to about a decade and a half after they came out. I appreciate the world created and the cleverness of the stories and have nothing bad to say about any of it, I just never entered it. But I got the impression the films were done right the first time so I don’t know that they need to be redone into HBO series. Because that’s what’s being proposed: one series per book. Oh, and Potter author J.K. Rowling will be involved.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter might be making a return to the screen.
Warner Bros. Discovery is currently in talks about producing a Harry Potter television series, PEOPLE has confirmed.
Sources familiar with the project previously told Bloomberg the potential multi-season series would be based directly on J.K. Rowling’s original seven books. Each book, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, would get its own season of the show, per the outlet.
Unlike the recent Fantastic Beasts franchise, which told new stories within the Harry Potter universe, but not about the books’ core characters, the series — which would be housed under HBO Max — would revisit the beloved original story in a new way.
Per Bloomberg, they are hoping the series can be a flagship of Warner Bros.’ upcoming streaming strategy announcement, set for next week. The April 12 presentation will also see a preview of the forthcoming HBO Max and discovery+ integration and rebrand.
Rowling — who came under fire after making comments widely condemned as anti-transgender in 2020 — would be involved in the series, according to the outlet, to ensure its accuracy to her original storyline, but she would not hold a major production role.
The author has been hesitant to give her approval to many Wizarding World spinoffs, though she supported the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage production and the Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks, which debuted in Orlando in 2010 and later expanded to Universal Studios Hollywood in 2020.
Warner Bros. chief executive officer David Zaslav and HBO chief Casey Bloys have been involved in talks with Rowling, according to Bloomberg, but no deal has been finalized.
There’s an argument to be made that each book should have been a series to begin with because there was so much to each story. But these kinds of series didn’t exist when the first film came out, so editing the book down and condensing it to a 152-minute run time was their only option. The series is a great format for the books and HBO is a good home for the series. But after Fantastic Beasts took the gilding off the franchise, perhaps there’s an oversaturation of Harry Potter. And I know this is a stupid argument, but I just cannot imagine another Harry other than Daniel Radcliffe. He’ll be the first to give his blessing, but I just can’t see it. Don’t get me started on what the poor bastard who gets cast as Snape will have to contend with.
The other rather large elephant in the room is how hard it will be to support a project with Rowling attached to it. I understand she won’t have a major production role, but at this point isn’t having her stench anywhere on it enough. It’s sad, isn’t it, that something that meant so much to so many would be better left alone than resurrected? All because it’s creator, who used to be a hero, has chosen to fill her heart with hate.
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No, thank you. We already have the movies. I wish they would pick up some Black-focused fantasy YA properties instead. Harry Porter is a large entity but expanding would be more enjoyable. YA genre can’t survive if it keeps eating from the HP plate.
This!!!!
Agreed too.
Lockwood & Co. is a lovely series that is on Netflix right now.
It has gotten really good reviews, but not that much promotion.
Hope people will check it out.
I can highly recommend The Legendborn Cycle by Tracy Deonn as a fantastic example of a YA fantasy with a kickass black female heroine. They announced last year that it was being adapted into a TV series, so I really hope they follow through.
@Penguin this is the series I had in my mind when considering this post.
Check out Christopher Pike for some vintage YA – I loved his work growing up. Netflix made one of his books ‘The Midnight Club’ into a series and they also worked in plots from some of his other books.
His Final Friends trilogy is my absolute favourite followed by Weekend.
His books are crying out to be made into live action films or series.
I loved reading Christopher Pike books! Remember Me?
@imara check out Kindred on Hulu. It won’t get a second season but it there are enough viewers out might encourage them to look more into YA titles with a Black character focus. Also, Blood and Water on Netflix is really good too.
@flowerlake omg thank you for mentioning Lockwood and co. I absolutely loved that series and Lockwood/Lucy/George gave me huge Harry/hermione/Ron vibes. I wish more people would watch it and Netflix would renew it
Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn series would adapt very well into a series (if you like SciFi Fantasy, this series was an incredibly impressive debut for Deonn). It’s YA but should appeal to anyone who loves the fantasy genre regardless of age
I welcome it. Find better actors and explore the real themes of the book. Instead Rowling will probably use it to rewrite the books. The harry Potter books was less about friendship then the movies. The books was more about the class system.
The irony not being lost on anyone, the books are essentially about tolerance, acceptance of differences, and how creating a more equitable society is everyone’s responsibility. I could not understand how someone who wrote so much about how love, loyalty, and friendship are more important than status, wealth, or prejudice turned out to be such a flaming bigot. The woman truly turned into Voldemort!
I don’t understand it either. And portraying herself as the victim because people called her on her hate is peak white woman sh*t.
Exactly.
I know lots of people are not supporting Harry Potter anymore and neither am I.
She’s actively bragged about her still making money despite people being upset by her because of her evil behavior towards transpeople, so I hope most of us will be ignoring this from now on.
Aside from JKR’s bigotry and hatred now, there have been issues with HP for a long time.
I enjoy many aspects of the HP universe, but there are many aspects that have always made me supremely uncomfortable – i.e., the house elves system, and Hermione’s champion of the elves becoming a butt of jokes, the blatant antisemitism of the goblins. As a Jewish woman raising Jewish children, it makes me more uncomfortable today than it did as a young adult – especially with the rise in hatred against minorities and marginalized people. I don’t trust that any of these issues will be adequately dealt with – and I don’t know how it could since it speaks to the structure of wizarding society itself.
I hope it happens. The movies took the joy out of it when they changed directors and got a new Dumbledore. It was so dark and gloomy . I hope they redo.
Well, they sort of had to recast Dumbledore. Richard Harris died.
@Lise I’ve seen other people say the goblins are antisemitic but I truly don’t understand how. Would you mind explaining it further or linking me somewhere?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2022/01/05/the-harry-potter-anti-semitism-controversy-explained/?sh=3d7434806776
They all have the “stereotypical” portrayals of Jews from historical anti-Semitic depictions as short goblins and gargoyles, with huge noses and ears, and they handle all the piles of gold at the bank. It’s textbook anti-Semitism.
Thanks!
“But I got the impression the films were done right the first time”
The films were great but much was left out from each book due to time constraints which come with films for theatrical releases.
Greater overview and detail of Wizard politics and Wizard class system and its effects on Wizard society
If the series does a book each season with each season having 8 episodes so they can go into much greater Wizard World detail like the books, this could work very well.
I always thought the books would have been better as a BBC miniseries.
But given the route JKR has taken recently, nope, not if i Volderowlinig s involved. She’s shown her true colors and I have no interest in anything she touches.
Same. They’re not getting 1 minute of streaming from me.
I really enjoyed the books when they came out, and many people I know used them to improve their English. While I understand that a series per book might work better than a movie, I have issues with many of JK Rowling’s personal beliefs, anti trans and supportive of Johnny Depp among them. This woman does not need to earn more cash at he expense of other people’s pain.
what did they leave out that was important? I can’t think of anything I missed as a bookreader but it’s been years. I know they didn’t put a lot of hermione’s house elf advocacy in the movies, which was fine with me
I suppose it depends what you mean by “important”, but lots and lots of stuff, for me. I mean they had to, to keep the movies a manageable length. Off the top of my head, most of the wizard World Cup and most of the Riddle family back story.
I love the Harry Potter books, but am against this series for the same reasons that have already been expressed.
Ok, agreed on the riddle family, that story is SOOOOOO disturbing and sad. But hard pass on all their boring sports events, lol
Ok, the Riddle backstory was pretty dark, and they also left out the sad story of Dumbledore’s sister, and also one of the saddest moments in the series, when Neville visits his parents at the wizard psych hospital.
So those are all very dark, but they also leave out the idea that Neville could have also been the chosen one.
One fun thing they left out is that whole chapter about the muggle Prime Minister.
Lots of background on James Potter and his buddies, and the romance between Lupin and Tonks, and their baby, is just touched on.
They left out all of the elf rights stuff, but I am very glad they did, all of that was so tiresome.
honestly what I noticed is that having read the books, I filled in a lot of gaps in the movies (ie. the Death eaters in the final movie can find them because they say Voldemort, which is explained in the book but in the movie they just sort of… show up lol).
We are rereading the books with our boys and LORDY Snape is an ahole. I have never been on Team Snape even in the movies, but in the books he treats Harry like absolute garbage. It’s almost abusive. The movies definitely softened him.
Are you serious? Entire plotlines were left out, numerous characters, and worst of all the main theme of love was obliterated..
They aren’t going to go all Game of Thrones-ish on these books, are they? Longer and darker?
Frankly, this is unnecessary and reeks of a money grab, like the way Disney has been creating live versions of their classic cartoons.
And there are other books/authors who could use this sort of exposure.
I didn’t see the films when they came out when I was a kid then teenager and I won’t watch these. New material please! Stop giving her money.
We are knee-deep in reading the books with our elementary-aged kids, and also watching the movies. I’ve read the whole series (on audiobook) as an adult at least 3 times and my husband plays the movies as a comfort watch. I think the books and the movies go together very well as different mediums for the same body of work.
I say that, and I don’t like the fantastic beasts movies. There’s none of the sparkle of the original books/movies and I like the original cast.
I also don’t really think I want to see a reimagining on screen of the original books. Maybe because we are still currently watching the movies, still reading the books. It doesn’t feel like it needs to be redone to me. At all. It’s not like they were made 50 years ago. I can’t see how it could be redone to be better? I cannot see anyone else in those roles, especially for Harry Potter. I would be more into it if 1. it was telling tales in that world that weren’t told already and 2. if JK Rowling wasn’t involved. She’s burned all of that goodwill to the ground and I don’t want to read or see anything new she’s involved with at this point.
I wanna see a prequel series (Fantastic Beasts doesn’t count cuz it sucked) about the Order of the Phoenix. I would watch the HELL out of series about Harry’s parents’/Sirius’/Snape’s time at Hogwarts and the rise of Voldemort.
Just so you know where part of your money might go:
https://twitter.com/HPANA/status/1518650786347163651
Oh, I’m well aware that JKR is EXTRAORDINARILY problematic/bigoted/a trash person. But I love the stories. It’s possible to love the art and hate the artist.
I will pass.
I am not interested in giving more money to JKR to give to anti-trans terror groups.
Hard agree. As someone who loved the books and went to the book store at midnight to get the new one, I want nothing to do with JK Rowling or anything that will give her more money. Nope. Hell no.
ugh. next, please. having grown up with the books and movies, i just don’t see how rehashing it and turn it into a series per book is gonna add much more. there are plenty of other wonder YA books/series that are worth adapting. like Garth Nix’s Abhorsen series. multiple strong female leads, zombie-esque adjacent material which is in vogue now (last of us etc), magic, lots of action, “animal” side kicks. ugh…prime for adaptation and i wish someone would do it.
I read “Shades Children” by Garth Nix when I was 11 or 12 and its stayed with me all these years he is a wonderful writer. I would love to see Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed adapted to Netflix
yes! also a great one for adaptation.
I love the Abhorsen series!!!! It would make for an awesome show.
The heads at HBO have certainly been making some shit decisions as of late. Their golden goose, The Last of US is what’s keeping viewers so they better be careful.
Rowling is clearly trying to erase the legacy the original actors have left because they have been outspoken in their support of trans rights. Rowling is such a miserable person. I’m not a HP fangirl so it won’t affect me but I know so many love that series.
Not only won’t I be watching, I will cancel HBO if they go into business with JK Rowling. Do I think they care about the loss of my subscription, even after more than twenty years? No. Does it matter to me not to use my dollars to support transphobia or other positions I abhor? Yes. I haven’t missed Netflix, Spotify, Dior or Fenty, either. Turns out there’s plenty of great art in the world. You don’t have to support bigots, racists and abusers to access it.
havent all the movies been on hbomax for a while? or maybe they are gone to a different place now?
Everyone has to figure out where the line is for him/her/themselves. To me, there is a substantive difference in embarking on a brand new partnership to re-launch this franchise now, when JK Rowling has clearly cast herself as the UK’s national face of TERFdom, than being one of many rotating homes of long pre-existing intellectual properties.
After how disappointing the Fantastic Beast franchise was I do not have high hopes. I loved the books I felt the writing was the weakest in the Deathly Hallows though. If JK wants write a book about the Marauders Years I am all for it .
This just sounds like such a waste of time and energy. First, how are they going to really make these different from the movies? There isn’t much that was in the books and not in the movies, and the stuff that was cut is kind of of not a big deal or just not that good. Second, and I saw this mentioned somewhere, the people that own HP have a vested interest in not really changing how the characters and setting looks because of the parks and all the merch. So, what will make these worth watching? It’s not because of lunatic JK Rowling, who is literally obsessed with trans women.
That being said, why not make a series of the play she wrote? You know, if you actually want to see that play, it is a two-night thing!
My two kids, now in their 30s, were just the right age when the books and movies were coming out. Each new book was such a huger than huge event in our house.
The anticipation for each book drop was better than Disneyland and Christmas together.
I could never get into the books. They really needed editing. She sure spoke to my kids, though. J.K Rowling’s imagination gave her audience a whole magical world to get lost in.
As a person, Rowling deserves to be called out and loudly. She has used her enormous platform to further despicable, destructive, ignorant hate.
Oh god, why can’t we ever leave good things alone (the books/movies, the author can gtfo) ? No they must be redone and redone until they’re unbearable and bad. Hell to the no on this one!
…can you imagine, if they could get the original choice for movie Snape, Tim Roth??😍
I was a HUGE Harry Potter fan, but I have no interest in this after JKR has shown how cruel & hateful she is.
With her involvement, I’m not even sure that this is a good business bet. It was reported recently that JKR’s production company recently saw 74% losses, so I get why she’d like to make this deal, but I don’t know that it makes sense for anyone else to partner with her.
Myself and my OH are huge Harry Potter fans. Queuing for midnight book releases, saw the films in the cinema multiple times, some of our favourite films and books. So seeing JKR turn into the person she has (or reveal the person she is) has been heartbreaking, especially after it was often reported that she dropped off many rich lists because she gave so much of her wealth away to charity. After the very very real damage she is doing to trans- and non-binary people, the saddest part of this is that from here on out no one will be able to experience HP the way we did, because her spectre looms so large over it now that people will not be able to separate the two.
If they do make these series, I would watch it. It would be good in a way to see 1. if they would embrace a properly diverse cast with substance (looking at Dean Thomas one-line-per-film here) and 2. delve into some of the very potent issues and themes in the books like slavery, control and corruption. If they did divest from the books at all I’d love it bring in the other international wizarding schools (Castelobruxo, Ilvermorny, Mahoutokoro, Uagadou).
But it’s very difficult to see how it can be truly representative if she is involved and has final say about what characters are included. So I really don’t know how this will go.
I cannot with this.
I was already feeling HP fatigue before JKR came out as a proud transphobe (my kids – daughter especially – was full on hyper focus obsessed). I grew up in the thick of HP mania and loved the books. We own several sets of series (kids each have their own classic sets and illustrated; I have a set of hardcover first editions and a thrifted paperback collection). We own the dvd series. The movies were well done. We’ve been to WWOHP in FL. This isn’t the only franchise to decide to go this route, but just because it’s the trend doesn’t mean it’s smart. JKR has effectively tainted this entire franchise concerning future endeavors. It’s a big reason why FB did so abysmally. We won’t be watching. I will continue to enjoy the HP things we already own, but even so the mania has abated in our own home, and I haven’t done a re-read in years bc thinking about where it’s all gone makes me sad. That’s not to say the series will be bad, in fact it might actually be great to see the books more faithfully rendered, but I just can’t do it.
If supporting womens rights to body autonomy, to womens rights and womens spaces means you’re a ‘transphobe’ (despite her saying repeatedly trans people have their own needs and need their own rights and protections) then doesn’t that show you that trans rights are in direct conflict of womens rights? If womens rights are now ‘anti-trans’, what does that tell you?
I don’t have the connection to these books being adult when they got popular. The one thing I noted especially with the later books is that she needed an editor because there were wasted diversions that side tracked from the main story. But by then the movies were doing well and like GRR Martin, editors were afraid to do their jobs.
There is really nothing more that needs to be examined in detail from the books, unless we want a serious look at the racial stereotypes and anti semitism, which we know they won’t do.
I love the books and I love the movies. i have zero interest in the idea of a remake. What a waste of time and money.
on another note, I went to Hollywood Studios on 2018 and they already had the Harry Potter stuff there, including Diagonal Alley so I don’t understand why the People article says 2020.
I always prefer series to movies since they can go deeper into the stories. I am a bit too old when they came out in the late 90’s for the YA target.
But I have friends in their 40s still obsessed with the books. There will always be a market for them to be rebooted again and again.
And with all the tie-ins with merch and amusement park. Makes sense to mine the well some more for content. And get JK another castle or something.
To answer the question of ‘why now?’ the new Hogwarts Legacy game broke sales records and earned $850 million in the first 14 days. It hasn’t even been released for all consoles yet. This happened despite Rowling’s public failings. She owns Harry Potter and the market wants more Harry Potter. Hopefully the new series will hew closely to the original books and spare us her more recent idiocy like Johnny Depp’s magic skull hookah.
I challenge you to not be so dismissive of J.K. Rowling and label her as a transphobe without first listening to the podcast The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling.
Silence, transphobe.