Four directors worked on adapting theHarry Potterbooks into the feature film series, and one of them recently made an interestingly hopeful comment about the upcoming HBO show. TheHarry PotterHBO showis still in the early development stages, but audiences have understandably had strong, mixed feelings about the concept since it was first announced. When it comes to adapting such a beloved book series, it’s no wonder that readers have such high expectations, especially when they’ve already been brought to life well on film not that long ago.
In an age of sequels, prequels, and reboots, audiences are more protective than ever over their favorite IP. Especially regarding fantasy, the post-Game of Thronesboom of streaming services wanting to cash in on similar titles, with shows likeThe Rings of Powerseeing famous movie franchises return to life to much less stellar reception. HBO is typically trustworthy, butHouse of the Dragon’ssecond season andDune: Prophecyhave set a bad precedent for their recent speculative fiction adaptations,givingHarry Pottera steeper hill to overcome.
Chris Columbus Is Right About The Harry Potter Remake’s Runtime Advantage
The Harry Potter TV Show Will Have More Screen Time To Adapt The Books
Chris Columbus is the acclaimed filmmaker behind movies likeMrs. Doubtfire,Home Alone,and the first twoHarry Potterfilms. The 66-year-old director has made some iconic classics, and his perspective on the TV show is important.There’s hardly anyone who can be trusted more than the person who set the tone for the film franchise, determining how the novels should be adapted and making the hard choices of what was essential to keep and what would need to be cut. On the matter, he said the following:
“The fact that they have the leisure of [multiple] episodes for each book, I think that’s fantastic. you’re able to get all the stuff in the series that we didn’t have an opportunity to do…all these great scenes that we just couldn’t put in the films. I look forward to seeing what they’re trying to do with it. I think it’s great.”
Consider the fact that Columbus only directed the first two films, meaning he had the shortest novels to adapt. If he was crushed about having to cut scenes, imagine what it was like for David Yates, who worked onThe Order of the Phoenix. People criticizedThe Deathly Hallowsfor splitting into two movies, but that additional runtime allowed them to be some of the most faithful movies in the series. The finalbattle between Harry and Voldemort is differentin the movies, but otherwise, the movies weren’t forced to cut as many scenes as 5 or 6.
Harry Potter’s Remake Should Expand On The Most Interesting Part Of Snape’s Backstory
HBO’s Harry Potter remake should expand on the most interesting part of Severus Snape’s backstory, and that isn’t his connection to the Marauders.
The Harry Potter Movies Will Still Be Difficult For The HBO Show To Beat
The Harry Potter Films' Legacy Means The Show Needs To Be Perfect
For theHarry Pottershow to earn praise, book accuracy isn’t just an advantage; it’s an expectation. To top the movies, accuracy is one expected factor for how the show can stand out, but the only way to really be regarded in the same ilk as the films is to match them or overtake them in quality. TheHarry Potterfilms are some of the most beloved of the 21st century, and offering audiences who grew up watching them a new Harry or Hermione isn’t going to be an easy task. That respect will have to be earned through consistent excellence.
Harry Potter
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.
