The Harry Potter TV show is a desperate "Hail Mary"

Word is that Harry Potter will be re-adapted as an HBOMax series with each season representing one of the books (ala Game of Thrones, at least initially). And I've got thoughts, and believe it or not they're about the property and not about the original author! I haven't gotten to do that in ages.
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[@MarquisdeL3]

I've always thought the smart move would be to make an animated tv show adaptation once all the books were done. Making it animated would help differentiate it from the movies, make it easier to incorporate more of the fantastical elements, and keep it cheaper to make than a live action show would be. Of course, with Warner Brothers going the way it is now, there's no chance of it being animated.

[@B-MC]

Hoping for Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated, but dreading getting Velma instead.

[@SpaceCase1701]

Honestly, I remember thinking years ago (before JK went full TERF) re-reading the books thinking some of the more outlandish concepts described in the books would be well suited to an animated adaption compared to Live Action (like some of the wacky stuff in the Ministry of Magic fight from OotP). I mean, look at the visuals in other magic based animated media like Little Witch Academia, so much creative potential in visuals in a magic centred story. But year, WBD is never gonna go that route the way they've been treating animation the past year.

[@jeremyadler9620]

Honestly, my worry is mainly about the potential abuse the kids chosen for the trio, and even Malfoy, get when they're eventually cast. Say what you want about the adult actors chosen; they at least MIGHT have some idea as to how to shield themselves from horrible jabs online. The kids though? I REALLY hope that whoever gets chosen for this potential show have as much protection from the toxic online side of the HP community. I know I'm probably thinking about it too early, as there's been no news, apart from the announcement and this might not even happen. However, previous experience of kids in loved franchise shows makes me DEEPLY concerned. Just like how I'm worried for the kids in the upcoming Star Wars show, Skeleton Crew. Just something that's been on my mind since the reveal of the show.

[@chaserseven2886]

lol you kinda sound like a religious conservative zealot

[@fairycat23]

I'm worried, too. Are you aware of what Leah Sava Jeffries had to put up with when she was cast as Annabeth in the PJO Disney+ series?

[@jeremyadler9620]

@@fairycat23, Maybe. Something rings a bell with that name. Can't say for sure though. Very sad she had to put up with ANYTHING because of a role in a TV series. Kid actors deserve better!

[@SeymourDisapproves]

In his memoir, Tom Felton recounts a time when a grown woman harassed him in public because he (Malfoy) was mean to Harry. The epidemic of adults who seemingly can't discern fiction from reality and love being mean to literal children has only grown since, so yeah, I'm worried.

[@jeremyadler9620]

@@SeymourDisapproves, That's horrible! Hate that Tom had to deal with that! This reminds me of something else. On Neighbours, (Aussie soap opera) there was a character called Nell Mangel played by Vivean Gray in the 80's. From what I've read, she had to deal with abuse from random people who hated her character, but yelled at VIVEAN in the street! She had to leave the show because of that! Honestly, it feels like some people need tests before watching TV shows at times!

[@rassilontdavros3004]

Oh joy, with a full season for each book we'll finally get to see the subplot about a house-elf being so horrified and insulted over being freed from slavery that she becomes an alcoholic. 🤦

[@Carabas72]

@@falconeshield Not if Rowling insists on keeping the creative control she's always had.

[@marocat4749]

Talk about the goblin and other riots. Tje history wouldbe fascinating by anyone willing to agnowledge how wizard supremacy is messed up. Aka rowling, not a chance.

[@Tillyard86]

TBF that is an important plot point in Hermione’s decision to start SPEW.

[@rassilontdavros3004]

@@Tillyard86 Teenage me was really mad about the SPEW subplot being cut, because I had always seen it as a pivotal part of Hermione's character development. Looking at it as an adult, with the realization that Rowling was actually mocking civil rights activists, I think that the cut was probably for the best. You can't just set up eliminating slavery as the goal one of your main characters and then _not_ have any real follow-up. Especially if you're going to write a play where said major character is effectively a head of state!

[@timey_103]

Give the Goblet of Fire movie some credit; at least that film had to sense to remove that shit entirely.

[@robo3007]

It always irritates me when companies treat big IPs this way. With a property like Harry Potter you could tell a story about any student, any teacher and any villain from any of the books, not even to mention the option of creating a totally new protagonist. But instead they insist on retelling the same stories over and over and over... *sigh*

[@PlatinumAltaria]

I said this about the live action Avatar: they could have avoided so much criticism by just making their own story set in the same world. But they don't trust their own creatives, so they push out the same story again and again. It's baffling.

[@anomienormie8126]

The HP world is just not good enough. Every time they try to tell a different story they run into lore breaking problems. The Lord of The Rings on the other hand has a massive Massive lore that’s intricately designed. They have no problem telling multiple different stories. And they did it. Very well in fact.

[@allandm]

​@@PlatinumAltaria omg a live action tv show based on the world of avatar would be so much better then retelling the last airbenders story

[@benjamintillema3572]

​@@PlatinumAltaria I think they should be doing animated anthology series with avatar. A new main character every season, a different time and place in the world each time, sometimes the story revolves around the avatar, sometimes the avatar is only tangentially related. It would keep things interesting at the very least.

[@waltlock8805]

Don't blame corporations for giving people what they want.

[@Dukeofnachos]

14:07 I'm glad you brought this up, because I would argue that very few Snape fans are purely fans of Severus T Snape as presented in the original books, where he was vile and unsympathetic and constantly being described as ugly and unappealing. I think there are a lot of people who like the character because they liked Alan Rickman's performance, his voice, his cadence, his presence. The new Snape must inherently be a downgrade, because the new Snape will either be closer to the books and thus even less likable, or will be actively trying to replicate Alan Rickman and thus presenting us with an inferior copy. This inherently cannot work out.

[@TheTrumpReaper]

Nobody can Snape like Alan Rickman Snaped. I started watching his other flicks because of HP. Sweeney Todd is my fav (so far). Rickman is irreplaceable.

[@christianwise637]

It also helps that Rowling made Rickman aware of Snape's true character and motivations from the very start, meaning he was able to add all these little nuances to his performances to flesh out the character in ways that weren't present in the original text

[@VenathTehN3RD]

Agreed. Plus, movie Snape and book Snape have some pretty significant differences. Movie Snape, while still not a terribly nice guy, also tends to come off as far less of a vicious bully than he does in the book. We even see a few moments here where he seems genuinely protective of Harry and his friends (like when he instinctively pushes them behind him when confronted with Lupine's werewolf form) in ways that didn't really come through in the books, where it legit seemed like pretty much the only good things he did were strictly out of his feelings for Lily. Add that on to Alan Rickman's natural charm and acting chops, and the film version of Snape feels far more relatable and sympathetic than his book counterpart.

[@RJA]

If they made a prequel TV show about Snape and the marauders journey through Hogwarts then it could work. People may hate James Potter even more than him I'd imagine. They could easily make 5-6 seasons out of it, like 2 school years in one season. Then for the last 2 show the order fighting against Voldemort. Then they could even use the older actor versions from the end of that show for a remake of the movies in a TV format.

[@glitterberserker1029]

I think Snape would suffer the most in a reboot because fundamentally Alan Rickman was spectacular in the role and trying to do better would just be foolhardy. But also when they flesh out the actual school part the series Snape won't have anywhere to hide. Arguably Snape is his most abusive in the classroom. Including him threatening to poison Trevor and punishing Hermione for denying him the pleasure can't be overcome no matter what the actor tries to do with the character.

[@darkjaden-fe]

remember kids, you too have the power to kill the Harry Potter franchise dead. Potterheads, grab your wands. Millennials, grab your thousands of dollars in student debt.

[@JennaGetsCreative]

Oof, that reminder was uncalled for! Lol

[@inkypunk]

The fans: Rowling hurts my soul, Fantastic Beasts is disappointing, and in hindsight? The books had some concerning issues that child me didn't fully grasp back then. Producers: LET'S MAKE IT ALL AGAIN. THAT'LL WORK.

[@philopharynx7910]

I'm imagining a Verhoeven-style take on it that satirizes all of the problems there and Rowling's nastiness. It will never happen due to Rowling's corporation keeping such a tight lid on this.

[@fourcatsandagarden]

I think they're hoping that they can brush it all under the rug by reeling in new kids who don't know better yet themselves.

[@jkfecke]

My personal fave rumor is that WB tried to relocate the series to France in order to shake Rowling loose, and Rowling laughed and pointed to the contract, and WB sighed and decided they had no choice but to keep working with her.

[@adamdavis1648]

Well, Hogwarts Legacy sold well, right? Maybe the portion of the fanbase that feels that way is smaller than the internet makes it look (At least the first and third points. The part about Fantastic Beasts probably is how most fans feel given those movies' drop in profits).

[@philopharynx7910]

@@adamdavis1648 Hogwarts Legacy sold a little less than the projected figures. And Sales dropped quite bit once reviews came out.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

This series is about 20-25 years too late, HP would have been better adapted as a tv series to begin with, and why JKR agreed to the movie deal at the time is anyone's guess (My guess is: more money, more fame, more quickly). There is an old interview with her from back in the day, where, when asked about the subject of fame etc, she went on a ramble about how Michael Jackson lost the plot in the years after "Thriller" because he "kept chasing the phenomenon" that "Thriller" had been. Well, now it's come to the point where JKR has well and truly lost the plot, and she's chasing the phenomenon that HP used to be way back when. Wee-heeh... * moonwalks away *

[@philopharynx7910]

They did the movies before prestige TV was very big. There were a few shows, but nowhere near what we see now.

[@harrietamidala1691]

Maybe Harry Potter would’ve worked better as a TV show in hindsight, but at the time when production started in early 2000s, movies were still seen as a superior medium to television before prestige TV was a thing. Films had larger budgets to bring to life the special effects that would’ve looked cheap and awful on a television budget for that time period. A Harry Potter TV show of the 00s would’ve looked more like a slightly upscale version of classic who or maybe even early modern who as it came back in 2005.

[@matheussantana2390]

Omg it's Michael Jackson

[@TheseUseless]

Harry Potter was kinda released in a pre television era. If they’d waited a couple years I think it could have happened. But even then, before there was a revolution in kids tv, it was all adults tv, with shows like sopranos setting the stage. It was only in the 2010s when this stuff really blossomed.

[@ArielVHarloff]

I love Daniel so much I don't think he'd come back to Harry Potter proper if he did need the money. He's a really good bean

[@marocat4749]

Hasnt he carved a niche already, he went so out there role wise using his fame, i dont think he needs to , and the money neither.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Daniel wants to try more experimental roles. His Weird Al mockumentary was hilarious

[@jkfecke]

Yeah, Radcliffe has F-you money, but even if he needed the money, he'd have plenty of other options on the table to get it.

[@andie1508]

He'll still be a good bean if he decides to come back to HP.

[@CatHasOpinions734]

​@@andie1508 I mean, he's been really great about recognizing the harm done to the trans community by JKR, so it would be hypocritical to go back to work that makes her more money that she can donate to anti-trans charities. Thankfully, that seems extremely unlikely.

[@naterudolph4035]

I don't understand who the audience is supposed to be. I would have been psyched as hell if they'd announced this ten years ago. But this is now the most critically examined work ever. Do they keep all the plot holes? Do they keep all the fat shaming? What about the slavery apologetics? If they start fixing things, they're making it for an audience who has already left. If they don't, they open themselves up to a PR nightmare. I just can't imagine this surviving a full run.

[@MyBitch925]

Ten years ago wouldve been way more early tho

[@limistonya]

this. theres so much issue that ive critiqued and listened to others critique in harry potter that even if it is so very nostalgic for me i cannot actually bear to watch the issues of HP play out again in media that i havent grown up with / only love because of nostaglia

[@adamdavis1648]

How does creating fictional creatures who don't mind being slaves equate to apologetics for real life human enslavement? Especially when human children risking their lives defeating evil never gets called apologetics for having child soldiers in real life? 🤔

[@FaeQueenCory]

Insert gif of Lindsay Ellis saying "Thanks, I hate it" here about more HP.

[@mattcotton3219]

❤

[@isaacrichter3269]

@@falconeshield The fact that you needed any of those questions answered tells me you missed the point of it being a fairy tale...

[@lozpycock12]

If JKR keeps a tight hold on the development of this, doesn't allow anyone to deal with the racism, classism, etc, doesn't allow people to de-Rowling it basically, then she will end up screwing it up within a season. So far she seems to treat Potter like E.L. James treats Fifty Shades and while it's valid to argue that she's the creator so it's her right, they tend not to last as commercial concerns. Also Warners seem to strangely piecemeal about everything they do, there's never a sense that the entire corporation gets behind projects which can't help.

[@adamdavis1648]

How do you know that it needs to be de-Rowlinged to be successful?

[@rebelmage6929]

I remember that, before JK Rowling became a Major Villain, people on Tumblr were all talking about how a tv show would be perfect as a way to adapt Harry Potter, because they could add in so much of the missing things. If this happens, I'm going to feel about it the same way I feel about Hogwarts Legacy: I would've loved this, had it not been for Rowling. If it happens, I might even pirate it to watch it, just out of curiosity.

[@Dave102693]

Same same

[@poppie267]

@@Guardian582 Here we are again obsessive Rowling buttkissers coming to videos they dont like just to complain.

[@AndromedaD]

All people on Tumblr ever really wanted were the Marauders. Not getting that at this point is probably a blessing.

[@AndersWatches]

I also came here to say this about wishing for a series years ago. Also your username is great lol

[@AndersWatches]

@@Guardian582 oh wow, Queen terf worshipper used an incredibly sexist insult, I’m shocked…

[@MoramothHauntz]

Desperate is definitely a good word to describe the situation. Lazy was the first one that came to my mind

[@HotDogTimeMachine385]

It's actually hilarious that JK is so butthurt that Daniel, Emma and others are pro-trans that she's trying to replace them and make a new Harry potter. It's actually hilarious

[@butterflypooo]

I don’t think this is JKs idea though. I thought Warner Bros is just making less profits and trying to find a way to come back and be relevant again.

[@vapoet]

@@butterflypooo The funny thing is that everyone is making less profits right now because their franchises have hit a wall.

[@marocat4749]

There is just no way, and unlikely emma too, to come back, he has his niche already, she doesnt need it. And i dont think alan rickman would come back even if he were alive now.

[@butterflypooo]

@@vapoet thats good news imo!

[@butterflypooo]

I think a lot of actors who are at least decent have enough introspection to understand that its sometimes better to leave one of their biggest successes in the past. I think they can understand artistically when something is over and that reviving it is actually just dishonouring the original, that the same feeling cannot be recaptured but that's okay.

[@sarcomeresarecool]

The trickiest thing about readapting HP, imo, apart from the cast etc, is that the movies' visuals have become *the* iconic representation of Hogwarts and the Wizarding world, but especially Hogwarts itself. So you have to change things, otherwise it looks like you're retreading the same ground, but if you do then people will be annoyed that you changed it, but you have to change it... I do think an animated series would be better, if only because no one would expect it to be visually identical then, either for the cast or the set. I also think that the sort of funny thing about Fantastic Beasts is that they could've made a whole anthology series about Newt and his adventures with magical creatures, no Grindelwald involved, and that would probably have been a lot more successful; I know that I would have been much more likely to bother continuing if it had continued to be focused on Newt--I didn't bother with Crimes of Grindelwald, much less Secrets of Dumbledore, since what I liked in movie 1 was clearly something they had little interest in continuing to focus on.

[@athenacooper3130]

There is another reason why WB may have been hesitant to take this step until now. The magical school was fairly novel for movie theaters. It has been deeply mined in TV. Disney has Wizards of Waverly Place, Sulpher Springs, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, Owl House, and is apparently now working on a Jedi academy show. Netflix has Winx Saga, Lockwood & Co, and School for Good & Evil. BBC has Worst Witch. Crunchyroll has so many relevant series they they could honestly make magical academies one of their home page genre listings. Heck, even WB already has a magical school series through The CW in the form of Legacies.

[@AndersWatches]

I loved the worst witch 😩❤️

[@jadenbryant9283]

Yeah it's not a new idea anymore

[@hornedhare]

Hope they tank, and they probably will if they choose to adapt the series "more" faithfully. As you said, the movies are very faithful, but the reason certain things were cut out was because the writers literally went "yeesh" (and that's saying a lot considering the things they kept in). There's so much casual cruelty in HP, especially in the descriptions of certain characters, not only that but there were world building issues the movies somewhat mopped up (that is also saying a lot). I honestly hope they accidently wake people up to how bad it is.

[@adamdavis1648]

I thought the reason certain things were cut out was because there's a limit to how long a movie can be.

[@hornedhare]

@@adamdavis1648 I mean, yeah. Many things were cut out because of length but other things; things like the elves being okay with their own slavery, for instance, were cut because they would have been a PR nightmare to keep in and honestly didn't add anything to the story.

[@LinnaAP]

The irony is that for this case spin offs would probably be the best way to go but bc the first one was so disastrously bad they won't try again anytime soon

[@marocat4749]

I think the only way they could work is ,dont let rowling write them, do get political, get more daring and challenge the status quo. Or do the riots and uprising in the wizard world. Or just be whimsical .

[@jasonbolding3481]

there is talk of another spin off, that serves as a sequel trilogy to fantastic beast (they aren't getting 5 movies out of that fantastic beast) but allegedly going to be using the other charity book to build off of : Quiditch through the ages. which seems kind of a terrible idea

[@tatsudragneel4761]

If they're announcing 7 seasons off the bat it's going to backfire the same way they announced like 5-6 Fantastic Beast movies, even with how beloved the original books/movies are. Percy Jacksons doing it right in taking it a season at a time. Love the series but tbh I think it has a slim chance making it all the way to The Last Olympian.

[@Donnagata1409]

Is it a thing? Really? Percy Jackson? When? Where?

[@mohammadsoori9831]

Yes exactly, It's ironic that this is the way they should've done this from the start, and they're finally doing it the right way, but when nobody cares anymore.

[@CouncilofGeeks]

I mean, it's easy to say that but TV series on the scale and budget (especially for fantasy) that this would have needed weren't really a thing yet in 2001 when the first movie hit.

[@CouncilofGeeks]

@@falconeshield I think it shouldn’t be discounted though that HL really had no other comparable product before. Previous HP games were half assed movie tie ins. That filled a wholly unfulfilled niche within the fandom. I don’t think you can argue the same thing for a TV show even though it’s technically a new format.

[@mohammadsoori9831]

​@@CouncilofGeeks ​Yeah, I suppose It would've been a cheap show like legend of the seeker if it was made back then, and in that alternative timeline the Idea of a HBO reboot in 2023 would've been far more appealing (well, If Rowling wasn't...Rowling)

[@mohammadsoori9831]

​​@@falconeshield I have a 9 years old cousin who had a Harry Potter phase recently. Obviously he didn't know anything about JK and her bs and he became a fan just because of the movies. I stopped his parents from purchasing Harry Potter merch for him and the phase finally passed and now he's into Minecraft. So yeah I get it that Hogwartz still has a certain magic snd draw even for younger generations. But I think it really is a package. That group of actors, John Williams' theme, the set designs of the castle and yup, regrettably, the books, all come as a package to make that magic work. I don't think it'll be easy to replicate it with half of the ingredients either missing or being corrupted. About the old farts though, yeah I think they're just pretending to spite the trans community. I don't think those will translate into real viewership numbers.

[@vapoet]

@@mohammadsoori9831 In 99% of the cases, outrage buying and boycotts go nowhere. The latest fury at Anheuser Busch and Nike will not harm their bottom line in the slightest. And JKR has not gained a right wing audience with her behavior. Franchise fatigue will be the real factor, and no one is asking for this.

[@CharlieHuang]

I agree, Daniel Radcliffe doesn't need to return to the franchise. He does his own thing and has choice picks as to what he does and like as he's highly sought after as an actor. He doesn't need HP to stay relevant anymore, nor would be betray us.

[@paulhammond6978]

I think Vera is right about Daniel Radcliffe. He's interested in doing new stuff that challenges him, not going back to a character that he already played in 8 movies when he was a teenager. And I think that would be the case even if there weren't other reasons for him to turn down working with JKR in future.

[@moonbeans7042]

Yeah I think the biggest hurdle for this TV show idea is that Pottermania was so big in the 90s and 2000s around the books and films that anything other than total perfection and rating success would be considered a flop. Basically everything is stacked against this doing well, beyond the trouble with the author any badly received detail could sink the whole thing. Just consider they have to recast Snape and Hagrid. That in itself could sour the concept for remaining fans if they pick actors who aren't as well received as the dearly departed Rickman and Coltrane.

[@whiteraven562]

they'll need to recast McGonagall too. I pity whoever has to compete with Dame Maggie Smith. I know she's still alive, but I have to imagine they're picking a whole new cast. Having a few of the movie actors and everyone else new would be even more distracting

[@RedAngelSophia]

I think that the _only_ reason why a Harry Potter TV reboot won't work is _because_ of Harry Potter's attachment to J K Rowling. There are lots of things that could be explored by a TV series that gives a full season for each book that can't be explored by just a single movie per book. I mean -- look at the radio-drama edition of the original STAR WARS trilogy. It was great!!! Even though only TWO of the actors from the films reprised their roles in the radio drama. The only reason why a TV reboot of Harry Potter is not a good idea is _because_ Harry Potter is attached to J K Rowling. It is not just the reason why it would be _wrong_ to do -- but I strongly suspect that it also has something to do with why the franchise is not as commercially successful as it once was. If Warner Brothers wants to rehabilitate the Harry Potter franchise -- what they have to do is VERY simple. They need to convince J K Rowling to divest herself of it. That is the ONLY way to rehabilitate the franchise. Shy of that - the franchise is dead.

[@carolinemcgovern4488]

You're right on the money on this- JKs just holding any potential the Wizarding world has back.

[@crissy4445]

Agreed, I would be so excited for this but now I'm excited to pirate it so I don't support her financially lmao

[@NinjaWieldingLimes]

My big worry about the show is what will happen to the child actors in the cast. They'll have really big shoes to fill, and I remember what the press was like with the original cast. And looking at the Stranger Things cast, things haven't improved a whole heck of a lot.

[@matthewrouge]

The casting of the movies was brilliant, but any time you cast unknown kids, it's a gamble. They caught lightning in a bottle, and the three main kids all had great chemistry. That will be very, very hard to replicate.

[@jasonbolding3481]

not unknowns. Radcliffe was cast after they saw him on tv. He did a BBC movie alongside Dame Maggie Smith even before harry potter. While Emma Watson had some connections through her theater teacher.

[@matthewrouge]

@@jasonbolding3481 Thank you!

[@caitie-takes]

The Harry Potter TV should absolutely be the story of either Voldemorts childhood, or the story of the wizarding war. I’d actually want to watch that, I wouldn’t, but I’d want to.

[@anitanielsen1061]

Filling out the Nothing of the Dark Lord v Making Maurader’s Fanfiction A Reality

[@krose6451]

If someone other that Rowling was doing the writing those could be great. But even discounting her views her writing simply isnt up to telling those stories well. Personally I would love to see the Harry's parents getting together, being recruited into the order, what they did to fight back, the times the faced Voldemort and survived, and so on. End the series with their desths and Harry left abandoned in his crib with his to be famous scar fresh. I dont see it ever happening though. And as long as Rowling was still alive I wouldnt be watching.

[@marocat4749]

I want the goblin and others uprisings. Theyxsoubd exciting, show it.

[@philopharynx7910]

If they show the era of the wizarding war, it would likely incite a real-world religious war between the Snapists and the Jamesians. I saw the books as showing that both Snape and the Marauders were all assholes sometimes. A balanced show will infuriate the more obsessive fans. A show based on one side or the other will only appeal to that minority. It's a bad idea.

[@philopharynx7910]

@@krose6451 Sadly, I suspect this era would provoke a religious war between the Snapists and the Jamesians. While the hardcore obsessed fans are a small group, they are very vocal and aggressively pounce on anything that doesn't show these characters the way they see them.

[@LinnaAP]

I do hope it backfires in the sense that more people learn about jk's transphobia

[@TroyColey]

Me too

[@marocat4749]

And the final nail for rhe francise

[@poppie267]

Many of her fans already know she is transphobic but they simply refuse to admit it just because their likes her work. And than their are people who stan her just because she is transphobic.

[@kookiekommenter]

That would be nice, except I think it's more likely to backfire if the reboot is just objectively bad. If it's any good, people will watch it and ignore JK's views. The HP game caused a lot of uninformed people to uncritically read her tweets or manifesto and then conclude she's not actually transphobic. Even if I don't like her, JK is still a clever writer, and a sneaky one too who knows how to position herself as "just worried for women and children because she cares that much", at least to people who don't know much about trans issues. People listen to her instead of actual trans people and it's all very frustrating

[@KaRen-bo6et]

Fantastic Beasts 3 was so awful it officially ended my passion for HP. (This is how I feel regardless of JK Rowling's views)

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Same! I mean I still had nostalgia for the original books, but lost interest in the expansion works. JKR officially killed my love for the originals as well. I have found such better books since.

[@Dave102693]

I’m glad I never saw those cringe movies.

[@thedragonsunicorn]

it was so good back then. you thought of harry potter and you thought of this mystical magical world, with castles and trains and owls and magic. now you think of harry potter and you think of the god damned cursed child, gay dumbledore, the racist depiction of elves and all the other bs she added 🙄

[@sungexpression9093]

Vera I have been loving your content recently! This Harry Potter reboot is a desperate attempt to reinvigorate fan love of the franchise which is too little too late.

[@Larry_Black]

Reinvigorate fan love of the franchise? Do you understand how wildly successful and popular the books are? That hasn't changed at all. What are you talking about?

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

​@@Larry_Black When's the last time you heard kids really into Harry Potter? Like really into it. Yeah, there are adult fans who still love it and they are still ultimately young enough to hold it on for a bit. But Harry Potter isn't anywhere near the craze it was at it's height. And the terrible fantastic beast franchise and cursed child haven't helped..

[@vapoet]

@@Larry_Black It's been a generation. Yes, kids are reading the books, their parents' books. The sales were so large that there are books everywhere. They are on Kindle Unlimited, so you essentially read them for "free" with the subscription. The movies are watched on streaming. They aren't in the top ten and the third Fantasic Beasts took in 407 million worldwide. In terms of a 200 million dollar movie, that might not have even broke even. (Overseas numbers may sound huge, but little gets back to Warner Bros. It is all diminishing returns in a franchise with much less interest.

[@vapoet]

@@Larry_Black The last movie placed 20th in domestic box office in 2022. It made 95 million on a 200 million dollar budget. I mean Lightyear beat it, and that was considered and incredible failure.

[@vapoet]

@@TheDawnofVanlife We are a generation out from it and kids read it their parents' books, but there is no line waiting to buy either the book or the merch. I run into the merchandise collecting dust at the bookstores, but not in the amounts of collectibles other franchises have.

[@jaded6530]

Had Rowling kept her mouth shut, I think this TV show could've been massive and The Cursed Child movie would've happened

[@thedragonsunicorn]

i dunno. the cursed child was reeeeally bad, irrespective of jk's antics. the second biggest issue of the franchise (which actually came before jk's antics) is that fans hated the unnecessary extension of the franchise. remember the bad reception of rowlings twitter back in the early 2010s? i think jk's clout-chasing would've ruined the franchise, regardless of whether she platformed her problematic opinions.

[@Brunoxsa]

Thank you for the video, Vera! A Harry Potter TV series based on the original books really feels like a desperate move after the Fantastic Beasts movies' failure. The direct involvement of Joanne Rowling in the rumored TV series would be also very odd indeed for three reasons. First, she trying to reclaim a new main cast of actors after Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint denouncing her openly for her transphobia. Second, as a new adaptation, the TV series would require to change parts of the original books in order to avoid controversial topics and bring something new for old readers/viewers. And considering the last two Fantastic Beasts movies' quality showing that Joanne cannot write good screenplays, and her ego telling that she cannot do wrong and cannot fail, I doubt that she would demonstrate skill and hindsight by trying to improve elements from her original work. That would include even add openly queer and trans characters in order to avoid criticism against her, of course. And third, from a marketing perspective, Joanne is "radioactive". Not matter if bigots and people in denial about her anti-trans hate are still supporting her, Joanne's transphobia will always be at least mentioned in conversations about her. That being the exact reason why she does not appear in person in the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary special, despite Joanne trying to deny it. In fact, Joanne's involvement in such TV series could even help to make the knowledge about her transphobic views to go even more mainstream.

[@yanggang7]

I really appreciate this video! It would have been so easy to make a basic response video to the news saying all the stuff everyone’s already thinking (JKR bad, we don’t need reboots of beloved franchises, etc.), but I love that you instead took this as an opportunity to analyze the business of Hollywood, and explain why this was likely an inevitable (and probably doomed) move. Kudos!

[@jintym2951]

I completely agree with all said, and I also feel like it's a move to compete with Disney's Percy Jackson and the Olympians (PJO) new series. Of course PJO is in a completely different position, as those previous 2 movies were infuriating to book fans, so has a lot of excitement and passion leading into it on all fronts. A new HP adaptation would have a level of excitement but a lot of trepidation for folks too. A very different vibe all in xx

[@Elwaves2925]

I didn't know they were doing a new Percy Jackson thing. My only reference to that world are the earlier movies, which I thought were fairly meh, from my outsiders perspective.

[@jintym2951]

@Elwaves Oh those movies were meh at best, completely agreed. I am a huge fan of the PJO world and am very excited by the tone of the teaser trailer. I think its slated for a December premiere, so odds are there will be a bit more chatter and promotion in late 2023

[@MoramothHauntz]

The movies got me to read the books. So that's one good thing to come from them

[@Elwaves2925]

@@jintym2951 Cheers, I'll keep an eye out for it.

[@vapoet]

It's funny how Percy Jackson being so disappointing can be a great help when rebooting the franchise. The expectations are lower.

[@JadeCryptOfWonders]

I'm more emotionally attached to each one of The Lego Movies than I ever was about Harry Potter at this point, they make me laugh and sometimes make me cry. Also Legoland isn't Terf Town.

[@auditect950]

I absolutely hate the Lego Movie but even I would rather watch that again than give any more money to JK Rowling. Then again, since Dumbledore was in the film, it's likely she gets some revenue from it, so watch out for that, I guess.

[@goodpeople25]

@@auditect950 I know she most likely does receive revenue to cover their butts but that was clearly the (similar but different) character Doubledoor who was in the Lego Movie.

[@Lia-uf1ir]

You know, if we weren't in a capitalist society where movie companies were concerned with profits and shareholders, if corporate executives wouldn't meddle around with productions cutting things or forbidding certain elements, I wonder what great things they could make or how much better certain movies could've been.

[@amandaski]

I think there's another element too that gets overlooked, the huge mergers that have been happening. The reason the landscape for entertainment has become so homogeneous, among the things you listed, is that studios aren't willing to take risks anymore. Why bother when they can trot out superhero movie number 596, a terrible live action remake of a beloved animation, or a reboot of a widely acclaimed nostalgic film? Why make anything different if it's risky and might not make returns?

[@Lia-uf1ir]

@@amandaski oh yeah, definitely! Mergers will eventually kill creativity in the film industry. But hey - maybe that’s when a new version of New Hollywood will appear similar to the 70s with George Lucas and that generation.

[@drewlytle2281]

I do think maybe part of this might be HBO's success at adapting works into series. Obviously there's Game of Thrones and technically before that was True Blood, both books turned into very successful shows (until the end of their runs oh boy there). More recently was His Dark Materials adaption. The original trilogy (I need to read the newer books that have come out still) are honestly 3 of my favorite books ever and I love that series so much. So to see a fairly faithful adaption that had minor changes that felt needed, a cast that embodied the characters very well and wasn't afraid to tackle it's heavy themes felt so good to finally have. Not to mention it didn't hold back from it's controversial religious themes which is partly what tanked the 07 film adaption so badly. And while it's not adapted from a book, you could point to The Last of Us recently as well. I do agree that this is a desperation move, but I also think WB is thinking that HBO has a track record of successful adaptions so let's go that route as well.

[@MoramothHauntz]

I love His Dark Materials. Once I finish The Magicians trilogy I might go read those again

[@vapoet]

I think also that their DC properties have done better on the small screen than their big screen counterparts.

[@marocat4749]

​@@falconeshieldReally, yes it got weird but it has gay characters that have agency and do really good biting commentary. Not to mention religion and, 😂 wow.

[@philopharynx7910]

@@MoramothHauntz And the Magicians show was well done, at least at the start. Obviously they couldn't follow the novels easily, but I like the adpatation.

[@MoramothHauntz]

@@philopharynx7910 That's good to hear. I was considering skipping the show

[@dot4562]

The most profitable thing Warner Bros could do for the HP franchise is convince JK Rowling to leave it

[@Concreteowl]

I think this is all about Rowling trying to overwrite the film cast that don't support her.

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Yup.

[@Elwaves2925]

I don't think there's any truth to that. However, if you want to see it as a way for Rowlemort to rewrite and put her current views into the franchise, as opposed to what she presented at the time of the films and books, then there could be something there.

[@TroyColey]

I agree

[@marocat4749]

I think its if,her wanting to stay relevant, rowlemord still cared probably for being worshipped and money.

[@poppie267]

I find it rediculous that her stans think the child actors owes J.K Terf their career. Daniel Ratdcliffe and Tom Felton were already actors before they were cast in the movies.

[@patrickbarrett7536]

I really can't see this going anywhere. Not only is this going to have to be expensive to produce initially, but TV shows get considerably more expensive as series go on as they have to try and lock actors into multi-season contracts, On top of that each book just gets larger in both volume and spectacle, which is inevitably going to only increase budgets further. It is also worth remembering that the last book was written a while ago now and whilst they are fondly remembered, I doubt the franchise is picking up that many new fans...

[@vapoet]

One way to do it would work. Animation.

[@philopharynx7910]

Between Rowling's nasty views and there being a lack of good new content, I suspect that the franchise is waning heavily. I also suspect that later seasons will need to be longer. I can't see the first book supporting more than about five hours without dragging the pace or adding new content. Later books will need more time.

[@patrickbarrett7536]

that would work in some aspects, but it wouldn't come close to bringing in the kind of hype and money a live-action show would... Can you imagine game of thrones being anywhere near as big if they had animated it?...

[@vapoet]

@@patrickbarrett7536 The thing is that we are talking about a kid's series, not an adult one. Much if the allure of Game of Thrown was that it was incredibly adult. An animated series would be less cost. less risk. We are already saying, this is a franchise that may already be wrung out. They don't want a "Rings of Power" or "Willow" on their hands with massive budgets and viewers turning away. Do they want to commit to a project that would be 10 million and episode, (Minimum) 10 episodes a season for 7 seasons? Is the better part of a million bucks on a franchise no one is asking for a good idea?

[@resstie]

​@@patrickbarrett7536imo animation here could be more beneficial. Unlike ASoIaF before GoT, HP already has a screen adaptation, predominately accepted and with well beloved cast, and it wasn't long ago. Animation will remove the pressure of nailing down the new cast and locations so perfectly that it could transcend the original and the nostalgia (also, no need to subject child actors to an intense fanbase, but it's not like studios care much). Also, the fanbase is already enormous, they don't really need to find one, just entice existing fans enough. A lot of those who've read the books as they came out, have their own kids now and want to introduce the universe to them, as I once thought I would do. Literally, last month someone told me she plans to buy the books for her son's bday, so HP could cultivate his love for reading like they did with her. 😬😬, but that's an average person's point of view

[@bhunt799]

Maybe had I been a bigger Potter fan and maybe had not JK been such a Karen I’d probably be willing to give this show a shot.

[@erikburzinski8248]

Join me in the pirate life after all its the great pirate era

[@Dave102693]

Same

[@butterflypooo]

I was a huge Harry Potter fan growing up and love this idea in theory (been saying it should have been like that from the start … ) but it’s too late now and JK did too much of a number on it. Also, idk if I want to see anyone cast who isn’t the original trio cast, so that’ll be weird.

[@vapoet]

I try to separate the art from the artist, but it is near impossible with her. And that goes all the way to the last book in the series. The queerbaiting in the promotion of the book was disgustingly cynical. JKR brings out the "Read between the lines" about Dumbledore in interviews to gain readers. For the LGBTQ+, it was very condescending.

[@marocat4749]

It its even worth arr

[@insert-name-here3651]

I don't get why they don't do a TV series with new characters. Like you've said yourself, one of the problems with the Fantasitc Beast films is they lack the 'elevator pitch' idea of children go to a school for magic. A smart showrunner would also take that as an obatunity to reboot the world building of the 'Wizarding World', give Asia more than 1 magic school, fix the poor name choices, show us how this world deals with things like disability, why do people have jobs if you can get magic to do all the work. There are fun, creative anwsers to these questions that could reinject that sense of wonder and newness that the series originally had, that could be explored with new characters. Also it could have main characters from different years and different houses; let us truly understand the strengths and weakness of each house instead of the childish good/bad that it currently is. Also maybe try to make stuff like the goblins and house elfs less... uncomfortable. Get rid of the 'there are no immoral actions, only immortal people' ideology which basically becomes 'it's okay when WE do it'. Like this could set up so much stuff, so many new characters for people to become obsessed with. Like it's called Harry Potter but Hogwarts was the real star of those films. And I'm not even a fan of the Wizarding World but there's enough foundations already there for someone to come along and give this franchise legs (hopefully so it can run away from JKR).

[@camelopardalis84]

What episode is your profile pic from?

[@sungexpression9093]

This just goes to show “Harry Potter” and other properties can’t be milked for money years after the fact. Merch yes. Media no.

[@Dave102693]

I wish this was the case with Naruto.

[@thatDamnAusWhoFan]

I'm not gonna lie. Before she showed her true colours i was keen for them to do a tv reboot only as an anime. Can you imagine all the usual anime tropes applied to Harry potter? It would have been sick.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

I have a suggestion about the next video about a historical figure who appeared in Doctor Who: Vincent van Gogh.

[@thatDamnAusWhoFan]

@@lasseehrenreich5502 weird place to ask but thanks for the suggestion. I have considered it and I want to do it justice but that episode hits a little close to home for me. Without getting into much detail I have thought that chicken monster before and I don't know ow if I'm in the right headspace to do a video about it yet. Also I have a few other videos planned at the moment. Maybe down the road.

[@thatDamnAusWhoFan]

@@sebastianevangelista4921 Fred and George being flirty with illusions to twincesf

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

@@thatDamnAusWhoFan Ok thanks for answering

[@Dave102693]

Same. I really wanted an anime series series so badly….but I’m good now.

[@pabonismygod]

You're right, it is a desperation move, and I truly hope it blows up in their faces. Meanwhile they let other properties like the Babylon 5 reboot float in bloody limbo.

[@vapoet]

That would be a great revival series, if it happens. But I'm not going to pounce on that laser pointer spot of gossip anymore.

[@marocat4749]

Yep if strazinsky gets to to the updated political commentary, yesss.

[@philopharynx7910]

Oh, I would so love to financially ruin Rowling for her nasty views. But sadly, this is likely to end up hurting WB and all of the people involved in the show much worse than Rowling.

[@adamdavis1648]

​@@philopharynx7910 Wouldn't financially ruining JK hurt people who are currently being helped by her charity donations?

[@philopharynx7910]

@@adamdavis1648 I'm not going to money to the KKK if they promise to use it for charity.

[@bakasta5992]

It’s gonna be hilarious because I bet half the actors are gonna be trying to copy the the OGs! 🤣 The iconography of the sets and designs will probably be based off the original films as well. And I pray for the composer they’ll hire if they decide to get rid of the original film’s score. I feel so bad for the child actors they’ll hire. Oh! And if they decide to look inclusive and cast a black girl as Hermione, because Rowling lied out her ass saying Hermione was always black??? Man that’d be child abuse straight up! There’s just too many problems with this adaptation to ever prove it’s worth over the films.

[@Neckbeardlevel]

Just to be clear, are you saying it would be child abuse to cast a black actress to play Hermione, because said actress would likely get harrassed by trolls on social media? That's a bit of a stretch, imo

[@gabrielsalesmartins]

Not to even mention that Judas Killpeople Rowling herself will be involded

[@Nomiplus123]

@@Neckbeardlevel Tru though

[@Neckbeardlevel]

@@Nomiplus123 if that's "Tru" than anytime that Hollywood race swaps a character, which happens pretty frequently, and lefties usually support, would be considered abuse. I hate Rowling too, but let's be consistent here

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

@@Neckbeardlevel Wtf are you saying? It'd be child abuse because the actor would be a little kid, which is hardly the case in most race-swapped roles. You weren't kidding when you called yourself "neckbeard," were you?

[@patd25]

Back when I would’ve invested time and money into Harry Potter, I would have loved a TV show based on the books. I also badly wanted graphic novel adaptations of the series. I know you mentioned time being a factor, but making ‘Harry Potter’ a PG-13 animated TV show might be the way to go. It would need to look a helluva lot better than ‘Invincible’ though. Maybe a good Russian studio could be hired out to make it…

[@nekusakura6748]

That or Madhouse.

[@Dave102693]

Or a Japanese studio

[@patd25]

@@Dave102693 the ‘joke’ was meant to be about Russia being anti-LGBTQ, but I suppose if I have to explain it…😛

[@nekusakura6748]

@@patd25 "YOU SUCK MCBAIN!"

[@nekusakura6748]

@@Dave102693 Madhouse is Japanese

[@basicbluetrash]

The original films are WAY too iconic for this to work at this point in time. The last film only came out a little over 10 years ago. Sucks that a good thing can't just be left alone.

[@barockwerneck]

What I expect: This won't actually get off the ground because of the backlash. What I want: For Hermione to be black and the SPEW plotline to not be cut. I want to see them burn trying to make that look good.

[@antney7745]

If JK is involved then the series is going to be a failure before it even begins.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

I will not be watching the series or support J.K. Rowling´s work in any way ever again.

[@PhilTheBronxite]

I think Warner Bros./Discovery saw what Disney is doing with Percy Jackson, and are trying to copy it. But the problem is the Percy Jackson movies weren’t well received both critically and financially. So Disney is starting with more of a clean slate. Were as the HP film series is beloved. So that means WB is going to a very hard time trying to figure out how to do another adaptation. My feeling is if Percy Jackson does great for Disney. Than WB will go full steam ahead with the series.

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

It kind of just feels like a bad breakup with an ex. You shared a lot of good years together, there were maybe some not so great things as there are with life but the overall experience was positive, enjoyable and fun. Then maybe one day they say something that’s the final straw and you break up. You still have those good memories, it’s okay to have a certain fondness for what it was at the time, but it’s time to move on and dragging it out isn’t helping. What HP is doing right now kinda feels like your ex posting cryptic but kinda obvious shit about you on social media hoping you’ll come back. It’s cringey, annoying, and just needs to stop so everyone can get one with their lives. Maybe that’s a bad metaphor but some people who should be able to get it still seem to not, stop going back to your shitty ex, you can do better, there’s a whole world of cool experiences and people for you to find😅

[@HalloweenYearRound]

Regardless of anyone's opinion of Rowling, this is just an objectively bad idea. The movies weren't that long ago and a TV budget is just gonna make everything look cheaper with more green screen and bad CGI.

[@pencilpauli9442]

I want to give an extra like for the Patreon who came up with the moniker, "The Thing That Goes Doink In Cartoons". 👍🏾👍🏾

[@spews1973]

For a massive multi-media company to rely on just 3 properties to keep them going is a bad idea. For a company that's been strongly associated with animation for close to a century to suddenly show disdain for all forms of animation is a bad idea. And I'd really rather there were no more adaptations of Harry Potter until all of the books have fallen into the public domain all over the world so that no money from those adaptations will go to either Ms. Rowling or whatever transphobic organizations she might name in her will.

[@ColdDaveball]

Kinda related: I really appreciate Daniel Radcliff using his platform to recently join a discussion with trans teens!

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

When my first reaction to reading this title was, “oh god no” I think I can finally consider myself over HP. I still mourn a bit for my childhood memories of the joy it once brought me but I’m definitely ready for it to hopefully fade into obscurity. It’s bittersweet but I think I’m okay with it overall.

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

Also, it’s so funny because years ago when the original release date for fantastic beasts 3 came out I’d put a reminder in my calendar for that date that was like 2 years out because I was so excited. When the reminder went off, after the date had been pushed due to the pandemic and I’m pretty sure after JK said the second thing that really made me question her, I just remember feeling a bit sad. By the time the movie actually came out I just remember being over it. I could have easily watched it by now but I won’t and to me that really shows my own growth and acceptance. Like I said, I kind of mourn for what was and what could have been but having her reveal and confirm her thoughts and looking at things again as an adult with better developed critical thinking skills I just can’t anymore.

[@Frahamen]

Daniel Radcliffe is the absolute hero in all of this.

[@KateHistoryMysteries]

If we are talking original film cast (for Cursed Child), they will also need Tom Felton, Robert Pattison and even Maggie Smith. Also, Snape is still in Cursed Child and they can’t use Rickman…

[@callisto8413]

Why would they even try? Why? Most of the fans are adults who had moved on. There is so many stories out there they can remake or maybe start with a story that has never been put on tv or the big screen?!?!

[@benw9949]

I wish all the bad stuff had never happened and I could still love Harry Potter like I did before. I had seen the movies but had only reason the one book, and I came to HP as an adult fan of fantasy and science fiction. I loved the message of inclusion and acceptance of "different" people or those who had been rejected by society. and I wish JKR would reread and understand what we fans saw in her writing of the HP books, while also not perfect. -- So I have mixed feelings about the Potter story-universe. It felt like a breath of fresh air to encourage reading among teens and kids, and to encourage those who felt like they didn't have a place in real life. -- So, well, if there can be something good come out of it, despite JKR's personal toxic stance, then, well, I would still like for there to be something positive happen, dang it. Note I have not felt like reading the other books or rewatching the movies since JKR chose to go on the warpath against trans and other folks in the LGBTQIA+ community. I hope for something better somehow.

[@NeshomehPPC]

The Harry Potter fandom WAS positive for millions of people (LGBTQIA+ very much included) when the books and movies were still coming out. It was a cultural phenomenon that can't simply be forgotten--even the original creator of the books can't erase what the books and movies mean to millions of fans in spite of her own views. It makes me sad that I can't engage with new entries in the franchise the way I engaged with the originals, but nothing will take away the fun I had with fellow fans, or shake the principles of inclusion and love that resonated with me then and now. That's the positive we got from this. {= )

[@infinitecurlie]

I feel that. But at the same time I'm not going to let JKRs antics stop me from enjoying HP things. I played a lot of HL, I have an Always tattoo I got years ago (before I saw JKRS antics) but I'm not going to cover it because it's a twofold reminder - of how it made me feel and inspired me when I was younger there and also what I've learned as an adult and how I've been able to do deep dives into it both positive and negative. Idk. I'm just not gonna let JKR stop me from enjoying (and also being critical of) HP.

[@lilhonor5425]

I’m a little skeptical how far this project will make it considering how many projects WB/HBOMax has axed. While I know there are fans who want a show it just feels too soon. Also there is such a fandom for the marauders stuff it would make more sense to adapt that. My issue with the HP franchise beyond my issues with JK is that they don’t really seem to understand what fans want.

[@amandaski]

So the content is fire, per usual, but can we talk about the statement necklace?! Gorgeous.

[@puddlel1ama327]

honestly, doesn't matter if Jowling's involved for me. matter of principal any more, even splitting it from her I just have lost all love for Harry Potter.

[@julieb.8751]

Loved this video! I am in that spot that it seems like many others are here - ten years ago, I would have been here for this. Heck, probably even excited about it and the prospect of getting to live in the world more and flesh out the atmosphere. Now? Just emotionally exhausted by the franchise and the name behind it. I also agree that remaking/rebooting a beloved franchise is dangerous ground for the producer! Hard to get something like that right from an audience perspective. For anyone interested in hearing a bit more about Cursed Child, Lily Simpson has a section on it in her massive 10 hour Harry Potter retrospective on her channel, lol.

[@somik-i3x]

I think I heard about the Curse Child critique and man this is bad. It's the level of a bad fan fiction.

[@flapackfez]

When i first saw this I thought it was a joke

[@bakasta5992]

Anyways RIP Bozo Harry Potter It’s time for Percy Jackson to be the most iconic young adult show of the decade! Disney should make a camp half-blood park! #percyjacksonsweep

[@chaserseven2886]

oh yeah percy jackson good luck to that

[@gabrielsalesmartins]

Yeah, Percy Jackson is even more of cashgrab than Harry Potter, even the author said so 😂 Harry Potter may have been a one time phenomenon, I think nothing will be the "next harry potter". And maybe that's for the better, if we have no more J.K. Rowlings roaming around

[@erikburzinski8248]

Join me in the pirate life after all its the great pirate era

[@marocat4749]

​@@gabrielsalesmartinsBut he is a decent person, and gets better,not worse. And serms more an ally really. He deserves that.

[@poppie267]

@@falconeshield Do you mean The Underland Chronicles?

[@sateleim]

boycotting this ❤️

[@erikburzinski8248]

Join me in the pirate life after all its the great pirate era

[@gabrielsalesmartins]

​@@erikburzinski8248 yeah, I agree with this philosophy, but I won't be seeing this, personally. I just don't care about the wizard serie that run and use swords instead of using spells

[@ybell1294]

As someone who never got into the books or the last 3 original movies (not even when it was cool to be into them, honest), I'm abstractly interested to see how this goes. That said, it's really not hard at all for me to pass on watching the show itself. Great video, cheers!

[@ThatGuyW3s]

Lmao JK Rowling holding the world record for speedrunning a franchise from "cultural touchstone" to "old shame"

[@willford7499]

The first two seasons would be the most 'aimed at kids' anyway, so that is the main target audience for the first two seasons, with whichever adult viewers who might be inclined to grit their teeth until Prisoner of Azkhaban rolls around able to just do that. All controversies aside, there is certainly potential for more thorough live action versions with better, fuller exploitation of more of the content of the books. And unlike other series, the sense of the stories growing up and getting more emotionally complex/ dark Season to season is still the most unique aspect of the storytelling, as is the equally unique thing, of seeing the characters growing up on screen. 13 years is probably long enough for a new take to start, because that is longer than anyone the first story is aimed at has even been alive, so, a literal new generation to aim the story at as well as the existing viewers/readers to delight/piss off (delete as applicable).

[@ajzeg01]

If another company scoops up the rights to Harry Potter, my money is on Universal. It’s already such a huge part of their theme parks, I’m sure they’d like to own the property as well. Universal also picked up the rights to the LEGO movies when Warner Bros let them go, so it’s entirely possible.

[@christineherrmann205]

If they had time to let the movies age more, and if JKR hadn't shown her colors, a TV show could have worked. But I don't see it now.

[@TonksMoriarty]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who had this reaction to the news.

[@sep.s]

Question: If WB let the rights lapse what happens to the Universal Studios Harry Potter Wizarding World park? Is it in a separate deal?

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Given that part is owned by a different company, yes that's a separate deal. And understand WB would still hold the rights to the stuff they made, Rowling wouldn't suddenly have control of the movies. Letting the rights lapse just means they won't be able to make more.

[@sep.s]

@@CouncilofGeeks Thank-you, that’s what I suspected.

[@Dave102693]

I honestly wanted this for a long time (before JKR terf tirade), but as an animated series instead. But idk if this live action story would do very well.

[@vapoet]

Animated should be the way to go. It would solve the problems with actors aging too quickly and the budget is definitely under control.

[@Dave102693]

@@vapoet most definitely

[@ZombieInvader]

I think if they were to make a tv show of Harry Potter book series, it needs to be animated. Instead of trying to be prestige television, having it be animation would have cult fandom potential, be more accessible to children to bring in a new generation of fans, and eliminate all the production headache inherent with casting a show of child characters who need to stay with the franchise for 7 seasons. Maybe by the time I have grandkids, JK will be passed on and I can enjoy the series in peace 🙃

[@bybookandbone]

I think people would have loved a HP tv show years ago. They're both too early and too late to try it imo. I do think they could easily get kids that are as good as the main three, whether people will accept them is something that remains to be seen. However, I just do not think they could get the acting caliber for the supporting cast. In some cases, the actor would have to go up against the memory of someone beloved that has died. That seems sure to fail.

[@shaunhouse8469]

Other than the public getting tired of the "Wizarding World" wasn't the problem with the Fantastic Beast films JKR's insistence on writing the screenplays and out of the many things she is a good screenwriter is definitely not one of them

[@gabrielsalesmartins]

I hope the show flops harder than the Fantastic Beast's sequals

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Dang, shade on Rupert Grint. Rupert is a dad now, that’s weird. 😂😂 Honestly, 5 years ago I would have been interested in a HP redo. Mostly because having a chance to get back in some detail lost would have been cool. But now I could care less about anything labeled Harry Potter anymore due to JKR. And beyond Transphobia, Adults have nostalgia for Harry Potter, kids don’t. Like I hear 30 year olds talk about Harry Potter these days, not 11 year olds. And they’d need that audience, not the aging audience who are split between abandoning the series and holding onto it for dear life. Zoomers actually make fun of aging Millennials for Harry Potter nostalgia, lol.

[@marocat4749]

And they are right. I mean nostalgia can hit really hard,but also be silly.

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

​@@falconeshield exactly, 50s not 12. If they want this stuff to go onto the future, they need the kids. I am 43 and was allegedly 'too old for Harry Potter' when I was at the height of being into it. But the vast majority of fans are aging Millennials for whom a new 12 year old Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Draco Malfoy aren't gonna be their heart throbs.

[@cervicalvertebrea]

I'm realizing that I want WB to do poorly. Screw them for what they did to all the people who worked on the movies and shows they cancelled.

[@NicklasZandeVGCP2001]

If it were a prequel about the four founders of Hogwarts, the Marauders, or Voldemort, there might be a chance of it succeeding. But since it's a reboot, they're trying to make it as if the movies didn't exist, and people should start thinking of the TV Series when they think of Harry Potter, when clearly most people will still think of the movies when talking about Harry Potter adaptations.

[@AndrewTaylorPhD]

I feel like a problem WB are facing is that while the Harry Potter stories are beloved, the *world* is kinda boring and silly? Like, you don't need great world building to create a great story, but now? What do you do with it? It'd be like trying to set a new property in the Friends universe with none of the original cast. Where's the appeal?

[@marocat4749]

The problem 7s rowling letting anything change, if she did,fanfiction isproof that there are a lot of interesting angles, if she werent that unjustified controlling.

[@redlunatic2224]

Honestly, if the series actually incorporate the values people attribute to the franchise (inclusivity, equality, collaboration...), this could be quite interesting. That would mean deviating hard from the books, though.

[@Lia-uf1ir]

8:41 That's actually a conversation that has been going on while the films were still being made - definitely from the third one onwards because that was, as far as I remember, the first bigger novel where more stuff had to be cut. Most stuff that was cut was probably from the 4th and 5th film.

[@Macapta]

If it was animated I think it would be better. If you don't want to compete with the style and iconography of the movies, then don't. Go in a completely new creative direction.

[@astrinymris9953]

The other problem with a TV series based in the books is that a lot of stuff cut out of the movies was left out because it was... problematic. Now that JKR is no longer a beloved figure, adults are looking back at the books with less dazzled eyes realize that they weren't that great. It's also uncertain whether Zoomers and Alphas who go to schools with zero tolerance bullying policies will relate to the school culture of Hogwarts the same way Millennials and Gen Xers did.

[@lizzieborden8180]

first of all, fuck jkr, i’ll never consume another hp product again. second of all, trans liberation now. Third of all: this speaks miles on the lack of field research done before making corporate decisions. Fantastic Beasts didn’t fail because people only care about the main trio, it failed because nobody gave a fuck about Newt Scamander in the first case. Now you know whom people have given a very large fuck about since the early 2000s? *The Marauders*. Back when Ms Scribe happened before I was fucking born people were already writing Marauders (especially Wolfstar) fanfic like crazy! After the last movie when I was active in the fandom there was a large section of fandom dedicated to the Marauders. There are plenty CMV and webseries you can find on them from the 2010s. I remember back in 2015-2017 the amount of hashtags calling for a netflix Marauders series that rose to the trending topics were insane. And even to this day, you’ll find a lot of fanfic is Marauder-centric. The second most kudoed fanfic in all of AO3, and the most famous fanfic in the HP tag on there, is a Marauders fic (which is also Wolfstar). And this fic has a HUGE fandom of its own on TikTok. Harry Potter TikTok is VERY Marauder centric. There is an element of danger there, as previously stated, people are crazy about Wolfstar (that’s Remus Lupin/Sirius Black for those unaware) ever since the third book came out. And I am pretty sure miss Jowling Rowling would not let that be, which will make a huge amount of fans disappointed and mad, inevitably. But still, it is something the fans have been craving for years. I can very much recall seeing people complain about fantastic beasts’s unknown characters when they could be doing a Marauders series. The Marauders have a massive grip on nerdy teenage girls, more so then the main trio I would dare say. You grow up watching the main trio as a kid and then hormones hit you and you’re all over Sirius Black. It’s a massive massive part of the market and the fandom that they’re missing on. And that’s crazy to me because, these days, that’s the biggest part of the fandom I ever see cross my no-Harry-Potter safezone. From what I see it’s the main thing people still love about the franchise, the unexplored Marauders. Anyways not that i’m sad they’re losing money on that one but it’s just crazy how stupid they’re being. Because it’s something the internet’s talked about very vocally for years. Btw great video, always love to hear your takes xx

[@amateurmagician]

oh boy the queerbaiting would be craaaaazy on that one

[@spluff5]

Also, half of the books dont have enough material for an entire season of television...

[@poppie267]

Only the 4th and 5th books have it.

[@ElWanders]

Really insightful analysis from Vera. Didn’t think of the show as anything other than a cynical cash-grab, but now seeing the desperation.

[@Dave102693]

It’s definitely desperation

[@amourtabb7859]

Plus the intended audience for the first two were children who don't pay attention to acting but the intended audience for this show is nostalgic adults who will have to deal with child acting in the first few seasons.

[@ajzeg01]

This is like if Disney decided to reboot the MCU, or remake Star Wars

[@JennaGetsCreative]

I think you're absolutely right, WB is desperate to do something that's financially worth doing in order to keep their rights to use the franchise, and one or more of the main three wouldn't return for Cursed Child. A few years ago before the Rowling mess, I would have been very interested to see if a series devoting an entire season per book did all the missed details justice, but as you said, how do you recast Snape? McGonagall? Hagrid? The main kids? Alan Rickman IS Snape. Robbie Coltrane IS Hagrid. Maggie Smith IS McGonagall. Anything else, as Tenacious D would say, is just a tribute. The property and its creator may be full of problems, but those film portrayals were perfect. I don't think you can make that magic happen twice.

[@jonigazeboize_ziri6737]

They are bold to assume that this show will run for 7or so seasons.

[@nunouno001]

Even if JK Rowling sealed her lips shut and didn't speak a single word since the publication of Deathly Hallows, remaking Harry Potter in the modern world is going to be a really tricky thing. Espically with how the perception of a lot of her concepts & characters have changed over time. Even focusing on less 'hot button' issues, there's stuff like the house system promoting division, Snape being a good guy despite abusing/mistreating students, and Harry Potter being the special chosen one which makes everyone else irrevelant. People really don't like these things anymore or at least are nowhere near as comfortable with them as they were before; and again this is without getting in the heavier topics. Are they going to keep them the same or will they actually make changes? When Harry and Hagrid visit Gringotts are we going to see goblins again or are all the bankers suddenly going to be human? I guess the answer for now is "We'll wait and see" but considering how hard they are pushing the "Faithful" adaptation of orginial work angle and how the short the lease JK gives to others playing in her world. I would be surprised if they addressed any of the issues people have brought up with JK Rowling and her creative decisions beyond paying lip service.

[@philopharynx7910]

While the movies missed stuff, I don't think that the shorter books missed enough to pad out even a ten episode season.. Book 1 might be five hours, but I expect that some of those would drag without new content. Finding good child actors is hard, and you need a lot of child actors for this series. What's more, a lot of people will compare the new 11-year old actors to the nostalgic view of the adult actors from the final films. While Cursed Child wasn't great, most commenters never actually experienced it. Reviewing it from the script is like reviewing the taste of a dish from the recipe. Or reviewing a song from printed lyrics. A lot of the good parts of the books were details that aren't part of a script. They are choices made by the director, actors, and designers. Reading the bare bones script and expecting to feel like the books was never going to happen. I do think that a production of the cursed child would get somewhat better reception than it has so far. But I still think that it's a bad idea. Still, this is all theoretical. I won't watch any of this because I don't want to support Rowling.

[@JamesLawner]

I remember there were rumors floating around that Netflix-of all places-was going to make either a live-action or animated TV adaptation. Given the recent news, I think an animated TV adaptation could be to its benefit as it would cost less in building sets and making costumes and props, etc. That being said, I would’ve liked to have seen a conclusion to the Fantastic Beasts movies (Don’t worry I didn’t see the 3rd movie in theaters or on home video), and making an event miniseries to tie it all together could’ve worked at least. Also, why do we need to come back to the 7 books when there’s so much potential in the Wizarding World as a fictional universe? Like why not make a show about the Founders of Hogwarts instead? I say this, even though JKR would have to be involved with these kinds of projects, but I still think you could make new stuff without the original creator. Lastly, after everything that happened with Hogwarts Legacy, this news just doesn’t excite me and I’m just worried people are gonna do terrible things to the cast & crew of the show out of hatred towards JKR. Also, why can’t HBO adapt the Tim Hunter comics? He was Harry Potter BEFORE Harry Potter! C’mon! Also also, we should def look forward to the Percy Jackson show on Disney+ as that is a more worthwhile re-adaptation after the abysmal feature films that came out a decade ago.

[@camillagilmore1547]

God, can you think of any more poisoned chalice than taking on the role of Harry Potter as an 11 year old child actor in 2023? Like, one way or another I guess it will be career defining. I would hope that if I were the parent of a child actor I would keep them far, far away from this project because: a) I would not want my child's first major role to be one that invited comparison with a role originated by Daniel "I am the most perfect casting of Harry Potter ever" Radcliffe. I would not want my child to suffer that kind of ego blow at such a formative age and stage in their career. B) I would not want my child's first major association to be with a series that is, on balance of probabilities, likely to be cancelled quite embarrassingly after a couple of series. C) I would not want to put my child in a situation where their first role and the social conversation around it WILL focus more on the politics of the original creator than the work itself. I would not want my child's first role to be one that would be dismissed out of hand for reasons beyond their control, OR one that will be supported purely to spite a rival social and political group. I would not want Tucker talking about my child on Fox News through a culture wars lens and so bring my child to the attention of that whole demographic he serves. I dunno, recasting a bunch of 11 year olds as the main cast of such a, ahem, controversial IP just kinda feels like it should somehow be classed as child abuse, y'know? Like, the potential for extreme psychological trauma as a result just seems so utterly foreseeable that I would have a hard time classing it as anything but, in the least, extreme negligence and disregard of a child's wellbeing.