A Harry Potter TV reboot has the potential to cover more source material than the original eight films, but there are many challenges that the show needs to overcome to be successful. HBO Max announced this year that the beloved Harry Potter franchise would return with a reboot, and it will be a TV series. Although there are many reasons why a reboot series is exciting, there is a lot of pressure on the Harry Potter show, and there are numerous factors that could stop it from becoming successful.
Harry Potter premiered in 2001 and ended after a decade with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Based on J.K. Rowling’s seven novels of the same name, the films stretched over eight movies, and they still weren’t able to fully cover the immensity of The Wizarding World. With 11 movies out, including three spin-off films from the Fantastic Beasts prequel series, the Harry Potter TV show will join a universe that includes a stage play, video games, theme parks, exhibitions, attractions, a quiz show, documentaries, and a reunion of the originalHarry Potter cast. Because of that, the upcoming TV remake has a lot to live up to.
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10 Living Up To The Original Harry Potter Films
The original films are universally beloved
The Harry Potter films had some issues of their own, but they were both critically and commercially praised. With 12 Academy Awards nominations, Harry Potter managed to create a magical world that was universally beloved. The upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot will undoubtedly receive many comparisons with the original Harry Potter films, and it will be quite difficult to reach the same popularity and live up to them. Given its perfect casting and set design, alongside the nostalgic factor, living up to the original Harry Potter fans is one of the biggest challenges for the TV reboot, given that the task is almost impossible.
9 Finding A Cast As Magical As The Original Harry Potter Movies
The Golden Trio alone was perfection
Harry Potter is about the magical world, but it’s mostly focused on the characters. The chemistry between the Golden Trio made up of Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, respectively) alone was magical. On top of that, numerous big names from the British hall of fame rounded up the ensemble, like Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham-Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, and Richard Harris, among many others. For the reboot to succeed, the Harry Potter series needs to find a cast that’s so talented that it will make viewers forget about the original films, which is a nearly impossible challenge.
8 The Harry Potter Reboot Struggles With Creator J.K. Rowling’s Ongoing Backlash
The Harry Potter creator is a drawback for many viewers
J.K. Rowling built the Harry Potter world, via her seven novels, the Potterhead website, and additional information on Twitter over the years. Although she was once seen as a role model to both Potterheads and aspiring writers, Rowling is constantly receiving backlash for her anti-Transgender views. Her damaging, offensive statements have put a lot of people off from supporting anything related to Harry Potter, which could pose further threats to the upcoming Harry Potter TV remake, especially if it comes with Rowling’s direct involvement.
7 The Harry Potter Show Should Correctly Build Up To Voldemort’s Reveal
The Harry Potter films didn’t do a great job with Voldemort’s past
Voldemort, played in the original films by Ralph Fiennes, is a great villain in the Harry Potter universe. However, the Harry Potter movies didn’t reveal everything about Lord Voldemort, and, while that might pose a challenge for the Harry Potter TV show, it might also be a great opportunity to fully flesh out the villain. There is so much backstory to Lord Voldemort that the films overlooked, including his childhood, family, and even student life. While it might be a challenge to fill the gaps, it could be an opportunity to best the original films.
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6 Kids Aging Between The Harry Potter Show Seasons
Max has an ambitious plan for the series
One of Harry Potter‘s biggest challenges that the Harry Potter TV series faces is the kids’ aging in between seasons. Max has a 10-season plan for Harry Potter, which would see the children grow up a lot. Harry is 11 in The Philosopher’s Stone and he turns 18 in The Deathly Hallows. It would be hard to keep up with the kids’ aging, especially in the later seasons, and this is something Stranger Things also struggled with. The only way for the series to try to overcome that challenge would be to film a season a year, and that could compromise quality and also clash with the actors’ other commitments.
5 Harry Potter Reboot Should Have A Modern Take For The New Generation
Some Harry Potter parts could’ve been improved
While trying to maintain Harry Potter‘s legacy, the series should also focus on building its fanbase with the new generation. Since there was a lack of people of color and LGBTQ+ representation in the original Harry Potter films, the Max series should remedy that. However, this is challenging in itself, as the new changes shouldn’t go against canon. For example, a black Hermione could work, the way it does in the stage play The Cursed Child, but the main pairings shouldn’t be changed. Harry and Draco, or even Harry and Hermione, for example, could never be endgame. It is, however, an opportunity for more LGBTQ+ side stories.
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4 The Harry Potter TV Show Should Find The Perfect Length
Having too much screentime is a slippery slope
Adapting Harry Potter into a TV series is a great idea because of how rich the Harry Potter universe is. However, it can also be an issue because of how easily the main plot can get lost in detail. One of the Harry Potter TV show’s challenges is to find its length and rhythm, which could also become one of its strengths. Since the original films weren’t able to include everything, and even changed the source material, the Max series can remedy that, without getting too lost in the Wizarding World.
3 The Series Deals With Pressure For Cameos From Original Harry Potter Actors
The Golden Trio isn’t interested in reprising their characters yet
Given that it’s only been a little over a decade since the last Harry Potter movie came out, there will be a lot of pressure for the show to include cameos from the original Harry Potter actors. Although some of them are always happy to be included, like Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), the Golden Trio is not ready to reprise their roles yet or come back to the Harry Potter world. The series will face a lot of pressure to bring back the original cast, even for a small cameo, and that might take away from the new cast trying to build their own legacies.
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2 The Harry Potter Reboot Should Bring Something New To The Wizarding World
There is so much already available
There have been so many additions to The Wizarding World over the years. Whether it’s the Fantastic Beast prequel series, video games, The Cursed Child play, or J.K. Rowling’s canon updates on Twitter, the Potterverse is already huge and well-drawn. Because of that, it could be challenging for the reboot just to build on that if it brings nothing to The Wizarding World. Of course, there are many ways this could work in its favor. Many creatures could be fleshed out in the Harry Potter TV series, and, if there’s nothing the show could add to the universe, it could at least focus on the daily life at Hogwarts.
1 Blatantly Ignoring The Original Fans
It should find a way to keep fans interested
Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges the Harry Potter TV reboot faces is the original fans. Harry Potter is still popular two decades later for a reason and the TV show should acknowledge that, not work against it. One way to keep original fans interested is by honoring the source material and providing key moments that didn’t make it in the movies, but were heavily missed. There have been many debates and comments about what fans wanted in the original series, and while the Harry Potter show should be creative and original, it shouldn’t ignore the original fans and key moments from the books.
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