HBO’s Harry Potter Reboot’s Desperate Attempts to Make Hogwarts Look Better Than the Original Films Could Massively Backfire
- Harry Potter reboot series in the making at HBO will see new locations in Hogwarts.
- The creatives are planning to bring in some changes in the architecture of Hogwarts.
- The filming location and commencement period has been announced.
HBO’s Harry Potter reboot has been mired in enough controversy to completely and effectively undermine its reputation if any missteps are spotted in the final product. From J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans stance to changing the races of the characters, fans are finding many things hard to overlook.
Although this fantasy franchise is one of the most high-grossing and beloved, fans cannot help but disdain certain things. Recently, a new update on the development of the series has been revealed and this time it has something to do with the architecture and visuals of Hogwarts and also other areas explored in the novels that were not in the original films. While the plans seem promising, any misstep could trigger significant fan backlash.
HBO’s Harry Potter Series Will Include New Locations and Also Revamp the Aesthetics of the School
J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter novels were adapted by Warner Bros. into a series of movies between 2001 and 2011. Characters like Harry, his best friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, were selected from thousands of child actors through an open casting call held in the UK. The movies were critically and commercially successful and earned the actors international recognition.
The movies may not have been perfect and completely book-accurate but fans loved them anyway. Now more than a decade later, HBO is rebooting the franchise and fans are quite skeptical about what is awaiting them on the other side of the production of this reboot.
According to Harry Potter HQ, showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod, who also serve as executive producers of the show, opened up about the locations that will be explored in the series. Reportedly, iconic locations from the movies like the Great Hall will return.
Additionally, other elements of Hogwarts will also be explored, which includes the likes of the staffroom. The evolving architectural themes of the school will also be examined. Mylod said:
We went with the idea that Hogwarts is a real place. So there will be elements of Georgian architecture, attempts at naturalism. Because, of course, we have the luxury of long-form storytelling.
Mylod’s angle about making the show more immersive by making such changes or additions is understandable, but it also has to be noted that any huge deviation from what the fans have already witnessed in the movies is not going to end well.
When and Where Will the Show’s Filming Happen?
The show will be filmed right where it all started, Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden where the movies were also made. The series’ production will begin in the summer of next year. Both Mylod and Gardiner are huge fans of the books as well as the film series, so hopefully, they will do justice to the source material.
As of now, there is no confirmation regarding the cast of the show. The only confirmed news regarding the casting is that both old and new fans will be introduced to a completely new cast. According to the most recent report, over 30,000 kids auditioned for the roles of Harry, Ron, and Hermione during the open casting call earlier this year.
Mylod and Gardiner are also planning to keep the ages of the characters canonically accurate. So, Severus Snape will be around 31 years old in the series like he was in the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Dursleys will be much younger than they were in the movies. That said, hopefully, they will also try to stick to the original descriptions of the characters’ appearances.
