I am far from the first person to talk about the new Harry Potter show, especially with the recent release of the first trailer. But I still feel like sharing my thoughts on it, since I have a lot of them. Buckle up!
Let’s address the elephant in the room. J.K. Rowling. While I can’t deny the massive impact she’s had on the fantasy genre, I have many issues with her as a person. Namely how she uses her platform and money.
As someone with trans family members, friends, and a general respect for the LGBTQ+ community, I find her actions unforgivable. It would be one thing if she was just vocal about her opinions, but it’s another that she uses her money (most of which comes from the HP franchise) to support anti-transgender legislature and programs. You can read more about that here. I refuse to put more money into her pockets and do not engage much with the franchise as a result.
So, will I be watching? No. Will I condemn those who do chose to watch? Also no.
See, I understand that it’s a complicated issue. I understand that not everyone is as in tune to these issues as I am. I know that many people appreciate the art and not the artist. Some people may engage with the franchise and ‘make up for it’ in other ways, like voicing support or even donating to pro-trans organizations. It’s not my place to condemn, but I can do my best to inform others and stay informed myself.
It’s an easy decision for me to make because I am not a huge fan. I enjoyed watching the movies growing up (even though I’ve never seen all of the last 2-3), I read the first book one summer when I was like, 8 or 9, because my dad said he’d give me 10 bucks if I could finish before school started, and I’ve even played some of the really old funny video games. I took the quizzes and all that and know a ton about the franchise through osmosis. Even with all this, I would not consider myself a fan.
But a lot of people love Harry Potter! Hundreds of thousands grew up watching the movies and reading the books. They imagined potion classes and discovering their Patronus and being sorted into their house. My mom is a huge fan. My boyfriend’s mom and sister are also big fans. I have aunts who love the books and read them as they came out. Who am I to take that away from them? So when I hear of the people around me watching the new show, I won’t judge too hard, but rather I plan on opening the conversation about the complicated nature of JKR and her franchise.
For those of you who do plan on watching, please get up to date on JKR’s beliefs and how she spends her money. Consider supporting pro-trans charities and be aware of the state of the world for trans individuals. It’s a scary time for many right now.
A lot of the actors have spoken about their choice to participate in the reboot. Most of them express disdain for JKR’s beliefs, but wish to encapsulate the magic and light that we find in the franchise. Feel free to check out what John Lithgow, Paapa Essiedu, Nick Frost, and more have to say about their participation in the series.
I also think that Andrew Garfield said it really well. He recently has weighed into the discussion and shared his thoughts, which I think sum it up pretty well:
I know it’s controversial and we shouldn’t be putting money in the pocket of inhumane legislation right now through she that shall remain nameless, but the soul and spirit… the essence of the themes of those films and the kids and the artisans and the craft people.
Now, here he is talking about the original movies, but I think his point reflects on the new show as well. It’s a good way to consider separating the art from the artist. Plus, if you just (hypothetically) pirate the series, you won’t be giving HBO or JKR your money. Something to think about.
I have something to share. Even without JKR’s issues, I still don’t think I’d watch the show, for a number of reasons.
Number One: The original adaptation was great
I don’t know about you who are die-hard fans of the books, but from what I know/have heard, the movies we have are already pretty damn good faithful adaptations. I know there are things that are changed/missing, but if you’ve read my Project Hail Mary article, you know that I understand that sometimes, things need to be cut. Things like Hermione and SPEW are sad to miss out on, but as a whole, it sounds like the original movies did a stand out job.
The first book especially is done really well. Almost nothing is missing
Take another book-turned-movie-turned-show, Percy Jackson, which took a poor movie adaptation and made something much better with the show. I feel that one is doing a whole lot more than the other. Can you guess which?
The original Percy Jackson movie was bad. Don’t get me wrong, I love to watch it and cringe, but it was all kinds of wrong. The series, which is starting its third season later this year, has been much more faithful, and has been pushing out episodes and content at a pace that’s keeping fans engaged.
Speaking of pushing out episodes…
Number Two: Production concerns for a show
The movies did something very impressive and managed to do eight movies in ten years. That’s almost yearly releases, which is perfect for a series where each book takes place over a years in time. Will the show be doing the same?
No!
HBO has stated that there won’t be yearly releases, which likely means that there will be at least a year or two years between seasons. At least. The goal is to do something similar to the originals and take ten years to do the show, but that may be a lofty goal. Imagine taking 14+ years to tell a seven year story. They may be able to get away with early filming and later releases, but who knows. We probably have another Stranger Things in the making, with 20+ year-olds trying to play teenagers. Let the memes begin.
There are additional concerns about the older cast members as well. In the original movies, Dumbledore’s first actor, Richard Harris, died between movies and was recast. This is once again a concern with the show’s actor, John Lithgow, who is currently 80. Even if it only takes 10 years, he’d still be 90. A lot to think about here.
Number Three: Changes being made
There are some thigs that I think will be cool to change, and other changes that I am not-so-interested in.
Things I think are cool: a bit more diversity in the trio. I like how with the Percy Jackson show, Annabeth is being played by a POC actress. As on-screen representation has become better over the decades, it makes sense to have this reflected in new adaptations. Having Hermione be played by a POC actress as well is a good way to add representation and diversity into the cast.
Obviously, it also will be good if previously cut story lines are able to be explored, like with Hermione working to free the house elves. We could also maybe see more flashbacks or content about the Marauders. There is a lot more you can add when you have the time to do it.
Things I think are less cool: I am so tired of everything looking dark and gloomy! Remakes LOVE to do this (just look at the new Moana trailer, ugh). What happened to the original magic and whimsy of the first few movies? The franchise doesn’t get dark until probably book four. We’re going to need night vision goggles to watch this series if they plan on doing the same.
I’m iffy on Snape being played by a black man. Wait, I can explain.
See, I’m all for the representation, and I think the actor will likely do a good job (he looks really good from what we’ve seen). But there is some potential for a lot of mess…
Harry, and his father before him, really don’t like Snape. Harry is always suspicious of him, distrusts him, and the Marauders really push Snape around when they’re in school. If this isn’t handled well, it has the potential of looking really, really, bad. I hope other POC actors are given roles and professors and students, otherwise, making one of the most complex and debated characters a black man could lead to some bad looks, and can make our main characters look racist, when race doesn’t have anything to do with Snape and Harry’s relationship in the books.
ALSO! I do not in any way condone the threats and hatred that Essiedu has received as of late. Sending death threats to an actor because you don’t think he deserved the role is never the right move. Especially when it comes from bigots and racist nobodies.
One interesting change that ISN’T being made that I DON’T like is how similar many things between the originals and the TV show are. The castle looks the same. Most of the sets look the same. Many iconic things that could be re-imagined and made anew, but then they’d need to rebuild Harry Potter Land.
We are stuck in a time where reboots and sequels and ‘new’ adaptations are a plague. We don’t need a live action Moana. We don’t need a Lord of the Rings sequel movie. We don’t need soulless re-imagining of something that is already well beloved and faithful to the original.
When a new story is being told, like many of the Star Wars TV shows, I think that’s fine. The Hunger Games prequel books are great ways to explore a world we already know. We saw this with the Fantastic Beasts movies, where we saw magic in a new part of the world with the backstories of some familiar faces. But when it’s the same thing being done ‘differently’, I struggle to see the point.
On that note…
Number Four: Feels like a cash grab
We gotta keep Harry Potter relevant so more people will go to the theme parks and buy merch! Did you see those new robes? New merch to sell! The brooms look different? Also a merch chance! Hogwarts looks the same so we don’t need to change the lego sets or collectables or the theme park? Cost effective!
Look, I understand we live in a society where we want things to sell. But how much of this show is just to get people to buy new looking house crests to go on their HP shrines? How much is passion, and how much is profit?
…That’s all. I just needed to mention this part.
Number Five: Replacing the original trio
My last main point, and maybe the one I feel most strongly about, is how this series seems to be wanting to erase the originals, or at least the original three actors.
You seen, Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all distanced themselves somewhat from JKR as they have grown up and furthered their careers. While you can strongly argue that the HP franchise is what made them successful, they don’t owe it to JKR like many say that you do. And as the trio continues to speak out against JKR and support causes that she disagrees with, it makes sense for her to want to find three new faces to be at the front of her franchise.
Daniel Radcliff has distanced himself from her due to her beliefs and feels sad about it. He understands how important she was to his start, but feels the need to speak out against her, as well as be vocal with his support to LGBTQ+ individuals. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint feel very similarly over the matter.
Unfortunately, JKR hasn’t shown as much grace to the original trio as they do with her. She called Watson ‘ignorant’, and even joked that the original three actors ruined the movies for her.
You can see more of the discourse between the original trio and JKR here.
I want to be clear that I have nothing against any of the children who have been cast in this show. It’s a huge opportunity. What scares me is how much hate they have already gotten, and just how much more they will receive as the series continues.
We saw it in Stranger Things, with the child actors being scrutinized, sexualized, threatened, and more. No actor, let alone a child, should need to deal with this. And the pressure to be the new face of a franchise, to be on the side of the woman who created it, is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. I just hope these kids have a lot of support and will be encouraged to be their own people, not just the Harry, Ron, and Hermione that JKR and the fanbase want them to be.
Wow. I did not mean to write that much. But that’s what happens when you have a lot to say! Some, like in this Tweet below, have even more to add than what I did:
In short, I hope you take a few keys things from this article: Stay informed of JKR and her actions/what she is supporting, don’t spew hatred about ANY of the actors participating in the series (especially the kids), and maybe support original ideas and not pointless reboots.
If you choose to turn in to the new show when it’s out, good for you. I’ll continue to engage with the franchise through osmosis and out of context Twitter posts.
This content was written and created by a human, without the use of any artificial intelligence tools. The authors do not authorize this article’s usage in training AI tools. We proudly support the original works of creators and individuals over technology that steals and manipulates original content without consent of creators.
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