I have both good and bad news, but it’s entirely up to you which one you choose to hear. Follow God, you people.
The inevitable has happened after earlier reports suggested that the “Harry Potter” IP would be transformed into an HBO series because nothing in a capitalist world is sacred. The production company made the official announcement that it is really moving forward with this new revived series today during a special Warner Bros. Discovery event. And what’s the icing on this content sundae? The newly rebranded streaming platform that will take the place of HBO Max will host its premiere. It’s currently referred to as just plain “Max” for whatever motive. Like that mouth-breathing jock we all knew in high school who was great at running into opponents, or the name of a dog, or a hygiene item. Wait, where was I once more?
“Harry Potter” is correct. It has been confirmed that the series would include at least seven seasons overall, covering all seven of the controversial author J.K. Rowling’s books in the main series. The series, which will have a brand-new ensemble of performers and be a “faithful adaptation of all seven original books” and one that “stands alongside” the original films, will have Rowling working on a creative level as an executive producer. Additionally, HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys was brought out to emphasise the studio’s goal for a “decade-long series,” which implies that at least a few of the books will be split up across numerous seasons, for those who may have wanted this property to end in the past. Yeah for ten years’ worth of content?
Harry Potter and the diminishing returns?
Let’s be completely honest about this for a moment: It’s not like an unsatisfying reboot series would be the first time that the “Harry Potter” brand was tarnished after the ultimately misguided decision to forge ahead with a series of prequel movies that elicited divisive reactions (and that’s not even getting into the Johnny Depp of it all). After all, J.K. Rowling has been able to take care of it herself. It was only a matter of time before this one ended up getting eaten up and spit out of the ongoing IP mania, given how identical treatment modern studios give to all of the classic and fan-favorite titles. Yet as Erin Brady of /Film recently observed, it can’t help but feel particularly sinister to watch this happen to this particular franchise.
This is merely the most recent significant development under the direction of new CEO David Zaslav, who has subsequently intensified production of motion pictures and television series based on popular, very lucrative intellectual properties (IPs). With the addition of producer Peter Safran and director James Gunn, DC recently underwent a radical shift in focus, and it now appears that the Wizarding World will follow suit. We’ll have to wait and see if this is ultimately as successful as comparable initiatives by Prime Video with “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” or HBO’s very own “House of the Dragon” show.
