Harry Potter TV Show Reboot
Word that a new Harry Potter TV show reboot was in the works at HBO hit in the last month or so. This news was a bit surprising (and not) to me, as I felt the movies did a very good job of telling the story of the books. It has been a while since I read the whole series and seen all the movies, but my sons and I have recently started reading them again. We have currently finished books 1-3 and are working on book 4. After finishing each book, we have been watching the corresponding movie.
As with many adaptations some things are lost in the translation from book to movie, but overall the movies do a good job of capturing the key parts from each book. So much so, that I am not sure what the rebooting the books into a TV show will add that was not already covered in the movies. The bits that are skipped over (at least thus far) have all been minor and would not really add to the story that needs to be told. Is it nice to have it in the books? Yes, for sure. But did I lose anything by skipping it in the movie, not really?
The cynic in me see the studios seeing another franchise they are going to try to milk to death (see Star Wars, the Witcher, The Hunger Games, even Lord of the Rings). A chance for them to find some other way to try and get as much cash as they can, the franchise be damned! They want the safe bet instead of treading new ground. Far too many franchises are afraid or fall into old habits. My favorite parts of The Mandalorian were when they were telling western stories in the the Star Wars universe. The worst parts are when they keep trying to tie it back to existing characters. Fun cameos, small Easter eggs, or people appearing in the background is fine. Even the occasional touchpoint to some major character, but I greatly enjoyed the newer paths that could be tread (speaking of which I am hopeful Ubisoft's new game Star Wars Rogues is good!).
The Harry Potter world is ripe for exploration. I think Hogwarts Legacy (which was excellent in my opinion) is a prime example of taking something beloved and expanding it! Honestly my main complaint was how many characters had ties to the existing wizarding families (Black, Weasley). But outside of those minor complaints they told a fun new story and expanding the world.
For TV shows in the Harry Potter world, give me the story of the young Marauders: Harry's parents, the feud with Snape, how James got the invisibility cloak, the adventures of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Or give me Ted Lasso but with Quiditch: "Coach I know you just learned magic is real but I really need you to coach us now!" Explore the Deathly Hallows and how they came to be and their role throughout wizarding history. Hell give me more crazy magic artifacts. Explore the various departments of the Ministry of Magic and what they do! Could probably even do a take on Parks and Recreation but with the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts!
Overall, I am cautiously optimistic about the reboot. I think the movies did a fine job so if it sucks, I will always have those to watch and the books to read. If it is somehow better than great! More fun fantasy media to consume! But at the same time I am disappointed we dont get to explore some new aspect of the Wizarding World. I see potential of what could have been and am sad we don't get to see it explored.
