Stories create magic and hope, building an alternate dimension in which people can escape and evade everyday troubles. They inspire, fulfill and devastate, encapsulating millions of feelings for their readers. The same goes for movies: vivid images, thrilling adventures and exciting dialogue help create the same kind of impact on viewers.
J.K. Rowling has been doing all of the above ever since her Harry Potter series expanded into the worldwide phenomenon that it is today. One of the main reasons that millions of children were so impacted by the series is because it demonstrated that anything is possible, and no matter who you are or where you live, there’s a world where you belong.
Recently, Home Box Office (HBO) Max announced a brand-new Harry Potter series based directly on the books, aiming to better capture details that may have been missed in the movies. We think it is a disgrace to the Harry Potter universe. The original movie series was authentic; it was created to inspire kids everywhere, telling them that they, too, like Harry, could have the capability to change their lives. This new attempt at recreating that magic is a money-hungry venture at best. More than anything, this re-creation is another way for directors to reap the benefits of a story that has changed so many lives. It is a shallow attempt to recreate the same magic we all felt all those years ago.
We aren’t the only ones feeling this way. Millions of fans worldwide are split: some are excited for a supposedly more book-accurate version of the beloved series, while others are skeptical of the show’s true motivations. A few notable controversies have people talking. The trailer revealed that the aesthetic, once bright and magical, is a cooler-toned and darker. Many see this as a problem because, as the characters grew up in the original movies, the lighting got darker and more cool-toned to match their maturity. Starting so dark is leaving many wondering what other stylistic decisions they’ll along those lines.
So far, all that we’ve seen is the trailer, but the lack of novelty aligns with our preconceived thoughts. The set is nearly identical to the movies with the same crooked glasses and cramped cupboard under the stairs, but the spirit feels forced; we’ve seen it in the other movies.
Some fans, on the other hand, are excited to see what this new series will bring and if it has the capability of bringing them back to the very first time they watched those movies on their couches.
For instance, Bonnie Wright, the actor who played Ginny Weasley, commented on the new series, saying she was excited about how it would bring new depth to her character that was not explored in the movies. She also argued against skeptics, saying, “The only thing I believe I do celebrate is that it’s continuing. That people still want to tell these stories and be in that world.”
The idea of continuing the magic of Harry Potter isn’t a bad one, but the execution of it might be. Of course, we want the newer generation of kids growing up with the same aspirations and hope that Harry Potter left with us. But rather than trying to copy the original series bit by bit, new movies should be made, ones that cover different periods of time in the Harry Potter universe.
Maybe a movie that focuses on the rise of Voldemort, or one that covers what happens to Harry’s kids while attending Hogwarts. Instead of showing us what we’ve already seen, directors should strive to create new stories, original stories – because that is ultimately what draws people in to listen and be changed.
