Upon the launch of Max comes the big news that a Harry Potter series has been given the green light. A shocking 22 years have passed since the first Harry Potter film premiered in the cinema with pre-teens Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint violently propelled into the spotlight. For ten years we watched them grow up on our screens and bring the magical world of Harry Potter to life and it looks like the series is going to attempt to do the same thing again but with a whole load of new faces. The books and the films get progressively darker in nature as Lord Voldemort grows in strength, creating a much stronger threat against Harry and his friends as the story progresses. This trajectory worked as the much younger cast was dealing with murderous chess pieces and ogres and as they grew up, they had to deal with dark magic, Horcruxes as well as love and grief.
Nothing has been released yet about what the new series will have in store, just that it will be a decade-long project and seeks to give new audiences an opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max said – “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon, and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the wizarding world”. While he is correct and Harry Potter is a much-cherished world, the decision to place JK Rowling as Executive Producer of the series has caused some controversy. This is due to the comments Rowling made regarding transgender rights which have been labeled by some as transphobic. As a result, Rowling was notably absent from the 20th anniversary special Return to Hogwarts which aired on HBO in January 2022. However, Warner Bros. the parent company to HBO has remained close with JK Rowling and the decision for her to be involved in the TV series adaptation of her books shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. It is her work after all.
A Harry Potter series should do something to satiate the hardcore fans who were so disappointed by the films and their omissions of crucial plot points as the series promises to be a closer representation of the source material. It will allow the world of Harry Potter to continue to be built on, further than Hogwarts Legacy is doing and further than Fantastic Beasts has done. A new series will enable more focus on character depth and can go much deeper into the more secondary characters and story arcs that are not central to the plot.
Thusly, the argument of separating the art from the artist is given prominence once more as those with a moral compass will find it hard to get excited about something so deeply loved for years that was created by someone who exposed themselves to be transphobic, but despite her pen doing the writing it is down to the directors, publishers, actors, screenwriters, editors, technicians, camera operators and everyone else involved who actually brought this world to life in the first place. And despite her views, can’t the books still be enjoyed, cherished, and loved in the same way?
What do you think about the news? Will you be watching? Let us know!
Watch the official announcement below.
