After directing the first twoHarry Pottermovies, Chris Columbus has some thoughts about the upcoming HBO TV adaptation, and his concerns may be the biggest obstacle the series must overcome. More than a decade after theHarry Pottermovie franchise ended, Warner Bros. and HBO are teaming up to makeaHarry PotterTV show. Considering how many books there are in the series, this is going to be a massive undertaking that could disappoint audiences in countless scary ways. Yet,if it is successful, HBO could bring new life to one of the most magical fantasy series ever.
From the get-go, there are a number of risks that theHarry PotterTV show will inevitably have to take. For one, the show must have a strong cast that can stick to the project for seven seasons or more.CastingHarry Potter’sadultswill be just as pivotal as Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Furthermore, the show is supposedly dedicating itself to book-accuracy. This means thatcertain elements ofHarry Potterthat have never been on-screen will have to be portrayed in exciting ways. Recently, Columbus pointed out an even bigger problem the show will run into.
Chris Columbus Nails The Major Obstacle Harry Potter’s TV Reboot Must Overcome
The Harry Potter Movies' Style Explained
In a recent interview withEmpire Magazine,Columbus pointed out thatone major challenge for theHarry PotterTV series will be setting the style and ambiance. Columbus said: “There’s a certain stylistic quality to those films you either have to depart [from] or you have to embrace. Do they completely rethink the look of Hogwarts? Do they use the John Williams theme?“To some, these questions may seem like nitpicking, but they are actually incredibly important. If HBO wants to set their adaptation apart, they will have to nail down a very specific atmosphere that hasn’t been done before.
Arguably, theHarry Pottermovies never felt like regular blockbusters, but had their own special design.
Columbus is also correct thattheHarry Pottermovieshad very distinct qualities to them.Columbus' own movies,Sorcerer’s StoneandChamber of Secrets,had an ethereal and nostalgic feeling to them, where even the danger felt whimsical.Prisoner of Azkabantook a much different approach, adding a more chaotic and odd tone. Then, fromGoblet of Fireand on, the movies had a uniquely dark ambiance that was filled with dry humor, flat colors, and plenty of magical strangeness. Arguably, theHarry Pottermovies never felt like regular blockbusters, but had their own special design.
Why Harry Potter’s TV Reboot Can’t Just Repeat What The Movies Did So Well
HBO Must Prove HP Deserves To Be Rebooted
Although theHarry Pottermovies succeeded at creating a strong atmosphere,theHarry PotterTV show would be making a mistakeby trying to recreate it. Audiences clearly loved theHarry Pottermovies, but the TV show must bring something different to the table. If the ambiance was the same, there would almost be no point in making a TV show in the first place; viewers could just rewatch the movies. In this way,theHarry PotterTV adaptation needs to come up with its own unique feelingthat audiences can associate with it, and more importantly, enjoy.
Harry Potter TV Show Is Fixing 1 Of The Movies' Biggest Wasted Opportunities (But It’s Still Challenging)
The Harry Potter TV show is officially bringing to life a character cut from the movies, but as exciting as this is, it’s also quite challenging.
In general,theHarry PotterTV show has a difficult task in proving that it deserves to exist.It has been over a decade since the movie franchise ended, and to some, that doesn’t feel like enough time to merit a remake. HBO asserts that this show is aiming to be completely book accurate, so the series must live up to this expectation and then some. Creating an atmosphere is just one step of many that HBO must take to ensure that their series is meaningful, distinct, and worthwhile. Otherwise, audiences will quickly dismiss the show as a money grab.
Harry Potter Completely Reinventing The Wizarding World Would Be A Huge Risk
What Direction Should Harry Potter Go In
Then again, there are also major risks to HBO trying to redoHarry Potter.The TV series could easily come up with a style that audiences simply don’t like, or which doesn’t feel accurate to the source material.Harry Potter’sworld is so well-known by now that trying to remake it could alienate the showcompletely. Something as simple as how Hogwarts looks could pull viewers completely out of the show. Worse, some may turn on the series, arguing that it is not theHarry Potterthat they know and love. Different is good, but too different is bad.
Ultimately,theHarry PotterTV show has a huge job to accomplish, and it could fail just as easily as it could succeed. In many ways, this project is walking on a narrow tightrope, and only time will tell if it manages to stay on its feet. After loving theHarry Potterfranchise for so long, it may seem like trying to reinvent the wheel. However, audiences should have faith thatHarry Potterwill get a new life that could be just as magical as the original.
Harry Potter
Cast
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
