An Instagram notification flashed across my phone screen as I did my nightly doomscroll after work: “Harrypotter just posted a reel.” As anyone would, I clicked the notification. The reel immediately started with a middle-aged man sitting at a kitchen table reading a newspaper, and then jumps to a boy running through a wide hallway with a voice-over that said, “I told you. You are a normal boy. You have to start acting like one.”
After that line, it pans to a boy with a lightning scar on his forehead being pushed into his room under the stairs. I was glued to my phone screen after that moment because I felt like I would miss something if I looked away. After the reel ended, I immediately sent it to my mom and watched her experience the same feelings I did. In that moment, I knew one of my all-time favorite series was coming back to life.
At first, I thought it was going to be another movie series, but then I did my research and found out that a Harry Potter reboot TV series is coming to HBO Max and premieres on Christmas. For the fans who waited to see the movies, had toy wands or waited for the books to come out, this announcement is thrilling but may also be bittersweet. The series will be a new take on the story, but this will give new generations a chance to fall in love with this magical story we first fell in love with.
The difference between this reboot and the movies is that each season will focus on one book. This will add a truer adaptation to the books, but also let us experience a day in the life as a Hogwarts student. This will highlight background characters who deserved more screen time in the movies, but also may let us experience students practicing spells, studying for an exam, or going on a leisurely walk after classes. These subtle storylines will help elevate the story and will help the books come more alive than they did previously in the movies. For the longer books, it seems almost inevitable for HBO Max not to split them into multiple seasons. Who can imagine one season just on “Order of the Phoenix”?
The cast of the Harry Potter reboot is already getting buzz. Some people are ecstatic that the magic of these books is returning to their screens, but some aren’t. Dominic McLaughlin was chosen to be “the boy who lived” over 32 thousand other candidates for this iconic role. McLaughlin is stepping into the role at 11 years old, which is the same age Daniel Radcliffe was when he signed on to be Harry Potter in the original movies. This leaves a lot of pressure on McLaughlin, but fans may appreciate the symmetry of the ages of both actors starting on screen. Many viewers will compare the two actors together, but this will give a unique opportunity for the new generation to grow up with McLaughlin and the other actors, just as viewers did with the original movies.
As I did other research about the reboot, I read an article that Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the original movies, sent a letter to Lox Pratt, who is stepping into the role as the new Draco Malfoy. Felton said in the article that he felt it was really important to reach out to the young actor. The article also stated that Felton gave Pratt encouraging words as Pratt is about to be known as the new Malfoy of his generation. This gave new hope because it shows that some of the cast are happy that there is a reboot and that the magic is coming alive again after decades without new Harry Potter movies coming out.
So what’s the difference between the two, and what is new about it? HBO can explore the ideas of everyday life and the quiet and peace a student can experience at Hogwarts, rather than focusing on big duels and wars. This will focus the lens on how the characters will mature and how their personalities will change throughout the books. However, the dark presence of Voldemort and the fun Quidditch matches will more than likely remain since these aspects are fundamental to the story of Harry Potter. This will be a challenging balance, but there is faith present that HBO will create the perfect balance to execute the reboot well.
There has always been the question of “will the reboot ruin the series as a whole?” and “will the series be better than the movies?” The answer is this: movies feel constrained, but sometimes it feels nice to have a fast-paced story. For a TV series, this allows a bunch of wiggle room to just slow down and capture the moments that weren’t touched on in the movies. Despite all of this, there are still a few questions that remain: how will they keep viewers entertained? How will they keep the tension and excitement needed in order to make the reboot successful?
There has unfortunately been controversy swarming around this reboot. These controversies include the casting choices, but also, people are just skeptical about how the writers will unfold the story. There have been many debates present on social media about whether the writers made the right choice on who they signed on for this reboot. People are worried that the reboot will take away the nostalgia factor that the movies created for them, and also how close the writers are going to the books. The nostalgia factor for the audience is important because the movies focused on bravery, friendship and epic battles, and this is what the skeptics may be looking for in the new series. This will also be a tough balance to satisfy the old fans, but there is hope and excitement in the air for the Harry Potter reboot.
The Harry Potter HBO Max reboot will be an exciting watch in my household, and I hope in yours as well. I have hope that the writers will do a great job on focusing on the everyday lifestyle of a Hogwarts student, but also keep focus on the main problem at hand: Voldemort is still alive and is after Harry Potter. How will the boy who lived overcome such a challenge? The reboot is about to cast a spell on the new generation of the wizarding world lovers, and the opportunities are endless for Harry Potter’s story.