What can the new Harry Potter TV show actually fix?
On April 12, HBO made it official: We’re getting more Harry Potter. Not new Harry Potter, per se — the Warner Bros. TV reboot will adapt the plot of the seven main books, retreading the content of the first eight movies in the franchise. According to the release, author J.K. Rowling will serve as executive producer on the “decade-long series.”
Which raises the question: What would a Harry Potter show even look like in 2023? What could “Harry Potter, but again” achieve that the originals didn’t? And do we think the new Harry Potter TV show means there will be more than one magic school serving the entirety of Asia?
In some ways, solving those questions may seem inconsequential to the story of the Boy Who Lived and his battle against He Who Must Not Be Named. But for contemporary audiences, it’s really the only promise for the franchise left as Warner Bros. milks it across merchandise,games,movies,books, and now TV shows: a wizarding world that actually matters today.
Harry Potter has become a particularly thorny topic since author J.K. Rowling has made numerous statements against trans people. Her actions have colored public perception of the Harry Potter books and its adaptations: What was once seen as crucial, beloved, and formative to (at least) a whole generation of kids is now a sort of third rail. It’s increasingly hard to separate the author and her political statements and actions, which have clouded the air around the franchise — calling into question what Harry Potter could, or should, be.
This particular adaptation has also made Rowling’s level of involvement very clear. In the release for the Max Original show, Rowling said: “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m
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