“They have a lot to live up to”: HBO’s Harry Potter Series Nabs ‘Succession’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ Alums Amid Pressure to Compete With Daniel Radcliffe Films
Harry Potter is undoubtedly one of the most beloved and biggest franchises when it comes to the realm of fantasy. The franchise, comprising seven best-selling books, eight blockbuster movies, and two spin-off movies, is now expanding itself with a new series.
Fans of the Wizarding World have been eagerly waiting for an update on the upcoming HBO series, and the wait for the update is over for the time being as it has been recently announced that the helmers of hit shows like Succession and Game of Thrones are getting involved in its development. Even so, it has to be noted that it has to live up to the legacy of the movies that starred Daniel Radcliffe as the titular wizarding hero.
Harry Potter Series To Be Helmed By Succession and Game of Thrones Alums
Acclaimed British author J. K. Rowling laid the foundations of the Wizarding World with the release of the book Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997. It quickly became popular among kids and young adults. Warner Bros. gained the rights to adapt the books and released the first movie in 2001.
In April 2023, the official website of the Wizarding World announced that a new series was ordered by the steaming service Max. This gave fans hope for an adaptation that would be loyal to the books, unlike the movies which, although popular, deviated from the source material.
Recently, Variety reported that Francesca Gardiner (Succession) will serve as showrunner and Mark Mylod (Succession, Game of Thrones) will direct multiple episodes. Both of them will serve as executive producers on the show. Additionally, Rowling will also be executive producing the show.
Fans Believe That The Upcoming Series Has Big Shoes to Fill
While the book series concluded in 2007, the movie series concluded in 2011. The namesake film series starred Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley, respectively. All the actors involved in the movies attained global recognition, and the movies remain among fans’ favorites to date.
This implies that any new adaptation not only has to have the right cast and stay as true to the source material as possible, but also live up to the high standards set by the movie. Fans have weighed in on this. Here is what some of them have said:
With Mylod and Gardiner heading the show, hopefully, the series will be as good as fans are hoping it to be. Rowling’s involvement in the project gives at least a little bit of assurance that this adaptation will be honest to the books.
