Summary
HBO’sHarry Potterremake will face some struggles when adapting the first two books, but there is a way that these stories could be made so much better. The upcoming reboot had promoted itself as a book-faithful screen adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven books, but even with a longer format, this will be no easy task.Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s StoneandHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsare unique among the books because of their more simplistic stories and younger target audience. However, there’s a potential solution.
While theHarry Pottermoviesare still beloved today, their shorter format means that much of the story was left out. This is why HBO’s TV reboot has so much potential. The series will dedicate entire seasons to each of Rowling’sHarry Potterbooks, with the first expected to begin streaming on Max in 2026. It’s a chance to really dive into the nitty gritty of Harry’s story without the need to overly simplify as Warner Bros' movies did. However,since the more complex aspects ofHarry Potterdon’t begin until about the third book, HBO may have a hard time getting the ball rolling.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV Show: Cast, Updates & Everything We Know
Harry Potter is being remade as a television show for HBO and every detail about the next adaptation featuring the Boy Wizard can be found here.
The Harry Potter Remake Will Face Several Challenges The First Couple Seasons
It Will Be Hardest To Improve On The Philosopher’s Stone & Chamber Of Secrets Movies
The first twoHarry Pottermovies did the best job of including all the major moments of the plot, and this is because thePhilosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secretsbooks were the shortest and simplest of the series. Since the greatest benefit of HBO’s remake is a chance to include all the plot points that the movies missed, it will take several years before the TV remake’s efforts really become worth it. It won’t be untilHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkabanis adapted, likely around 2028, that the stories the movies missed will hit the screen at long last.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
2026
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2027
Harry Potter and the Prison of Azkaban
2028
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
2030
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2032
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2034
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2036
To make matters even trickier,Philosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secretsare less mature, in general, since they are aimed at a much younger audience. TheHarry Potterbooksare meant to grow with their readers, but this could be a problem for HBO. A significant portion of the TV show’s audience will be adult fans who are already very familiar with the story. Sitting through two years of something already adequately adapted may be a struggle.HBO will have to find a way to make these first installments worth it or risk falling apartbefore it can really dive into the more complex aspects of the plot.
Professor Dumbledore’s POV Would Be Valuable In Philosopher’s Stone & Chamber Of Secrets
The Best Way To Age Up The Earlier Installments Of Harry Potter Is Through Other Characters' Perspectives
Part of whyPhilosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secretsfeel so much younger compared to the rest of the series (aside from following a younger protagonist) is that a great deal doesn’t make much sense.It’s strange that Harry and his friends, who barely knew anything about magic, were able to get past the Philosopher’s Stone’s protectionswhen they were meant to be impervious. Then,it’s odd that they were the only ones to figure out the location and contents of the Chamber of Secretswhen it had been a mystery to adult wizards for centuries.
The problems with these stories are meant to be overlooked sincePhilosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secretsarewhimsical children’s literatureat its finest. Kids are supposed to be the cleverest in the story, while all the adults are clueless. However, there’s an effective way that HBO could age up these stories to make them work for the longer format of a TV show—add in an adult point of view. In the case of the first twoHarry Potterbooks, the most effective POV would be Albus Dumbledore since he is something of a puppet master throughout the series.
Adding in Dumbledore’s perspective in the Harry Potter TV remake would explain why the Golden Trio were left to handle all Hogwarts' mysteries on their own.
Adding in Dumbledore’s perspective in theHarry PotterTV remake would explain why the Golden Trio were left to handle all Hogwarts' mysteries on their own. Someadditional focus on the headmaster could reveal that Dumbledore purposely made the protections surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone easy to get past(aside from the Mirror of Erised) to give Harry a chance to confront Voldemort. Additionally, it could reveal that Dumbledore knew where the Chamber of Secrets was but wanted to further allow Harry to test his strength and see where destiny would take him.
It was always implied inHarry Potterthat Dumbledore was allowing Harry to test his strength, even at the cost of the boy’s safety. Dumbledore’s POV could confirm this and add more context to his puppet mastery.
HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Can Use Multiple POVs Throughout The Series
A TV Show Has More Time To Bring Important Moments To The Screen (Not Just Talk About Them)
Seeing Dumbledore’s planning and curiosity about the Boy Who Lived inPhilosopher’s StoneandChamber of Secretswould throw the doors open to a piece of the story thatHarry Potterfans have never seen before, thus making the first two seasons of HBO’s TV remake more interesting. Of course, there are ways that stepping outside of only Harry’s POV could be valuable throughout the rest of the series as well. The long format of a TV show means plenty of opportunity to dive deeper into the lives of several important and popularHarry Pottercharacters.
The Harry Potter TV show will have the time and resources to cover canon events outside of Harry’s perspective, and it’s precisely this that makes the coming remake so valuable.
HBO’sHarry PotterTV remakecould explore the Marauders' story on screen when season 3 adaptsPrisoner of Azkaban, showing rather than telling about the days Harry’s father was at school with his friends.Season 4 could dedicate an episode to Barty Crouch Jr’sGoblet of Firestory, giving audiences a look at his mother’s sacrifice to break him out of prison from the character’s own point of view. The possibilities go on and on. TheHarry PotterTV show will have the time and resources to cover canon events outside of Harry’s perspective, and it’s precisely this that makes the coming remake so valuable.
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.
