The beloved Fantastic Beasts series, and a series rumored to be in the works at HBO Max.
Much of the Potter crew has moved on to new ventures, including Daniel Radcliffe, who recently starred as the villain in The Lost City, opposite Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, and Little Women. The cast recently celebrated 20 years of Potter at HBO Max's Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, where most shared candidly that though they have amazing memories, few would like to reprise their Harry Potter roles.
Though the franchise was wildly popular, most of those who made the film have decided the Potter series has reached its natural conclusion. Audiences have found new ways to share their affinity for Wizarding culture The Secrets of Dumbledore, was released in April 2022. As most of the characters have become adults, the cast shared (via US Magazine) that they have nearly unanimously decided that a remake is unnecessary. However, while this seems to put a spanner in the works of any immediate reboot, it doesn't necessarily remove the possibility forever.
Why Warner Bros SHOULD Remake Harry Potter
As with any wildly successful film franchise, film studios may imagine what could have been done better, with a stronger cast, better effects, or more money. With advances in CGI, and digital picture and sound, the temptation to create a fresher version that would bring audiences closer to the action is always present. There is also the opportunity to create new stars through the series, the way The Karate Kid reboot gave a stage to Jaden Smith and allowed Jackie Chan to fill the timeless shoes of Mr. Miyagi. A Harry Potter reboot might solve old problems or provide the audience with the satisfaction they may not have received in the original installments. An opportunity to fix a past plot faux pas can be seen when Hermione cast spells outside of Wizard school in Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone in 2001.
Just as DC's Batman franchise has, over the past several decades, taken on both new Batmen and directors, adding signature twists to each film and character, new directing and production imprints can be made on well-known stories, drawing in new crowds. Cognition shifts can be made as well with a reboot - for example, instead of telling one of the installments from Harry's perspective, it could be told from Voldemort's point of view. The bottom line, though, is marketability. Warner Brothers would have to be willing to take on the financial and time commitment to reboot the entire Harry Potter series in hopes it would find an audience, which is a huge risk. There is no limit to the number of times a story can be told as long as there is an audience with whom to share it, but it remains to be seen whether a Potter reboot could acquire a new generation of viewers.
What The Original Cast Has Said About A Harry Potter Remake
Surprisingly, most of its players said no to a reboot. Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, told The Hollywood Reporter in November 2021, “This isn’t the answer that anybody’s going to want, but I think I was so able to go back and enjoy it because it’s not a part of my day-to-day life anymore. I’m getting to a point where I feel like I made it out of ‘Potter’ OK, and I’m really happy with where I am now, and to go back would be such a massive change to my life.”
Tom Felton, who played Potter villain Draco Malfoy throughout the series, has endorsed his own return to the franchise several times, but hinted at J.K. Rowling's feelings (viaJo [Rowling] would want her films, her books rather and her films, to be remade anytime soon, but I'm sure in 20 years when they've got 4D, scratch-and-sniff cinemas, or whatever, then they'll want to do it all over again." Chris Columbus, director of the first two installments of the series, shared with journalist Jake Hamilton, "The movie exists, let’s just live with the movie that existed. There’s no point in us remaking The Wizard of Oz, there’s no point in any of us remaking the classic films."
Oliver Phelps, who played George Weasely, shared (via The Cursed Child. The films are very much in their own place." This s Columbus' assessment that the movies are magical enough already to warrant being left alone by meddling producers.
Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger, shared (via Vogue) in January 2022, that she would love to return to the sets again in 20 years, but did not mention reprising her Harry Potter role. Most of the cast explained during HBO Max's Return to Hogwarts special that the making of these films was a special time in all of their lives, and though they may consider returning for special celebrations, the door to a Potter reboot should essentially be closed. As a result, Watson clearly agrees with the rest of the Harry Potter cast about the future of the franchise.
Just How Likely Is A Harry Potter Movie Remake, Really?
For a studio to remake the eight-film saga, the content would have to be pretty special - and the Harry Potter series is. With each movie breaking box office records over its 11-year run, the beloved book series has clearly touched multiple generations. With continued strong box numbers for Disney and the Marvel franchises, it would be, again, tempting, to try to reboot the Harry Potter series. Disappointing numbers for Fantastic Beasts, however, may make such a large investment a hard sell. Classics take time to age, and based on the level of digital artistry demonstrated in each film, the series has aged quite well. Since the story is a fantasy and all the creation of J.K. Rowling, it is difficult to find outdated or obsolete elements. For all intents, Harry Potter is a true classic.
Between the facts that the Harry Potter series has aged well, the movies are still being enjoyed by both new readers and viewers, and that the cast and one of its past directors have collectively sounded off about how the movies should not be remade, it is safe to assume, at this point in time, there may be no Harry Potter reboot in the future. The franchise has continued to live on in various forms, as it has evolved into the Fantastic Beasts series and The Cursed Child, which keep storylines connected, as well as a rumored TV series. Viewers may be more likely to expect either a special or series from the franchise than a movie, which may open doors to new films in the future.
What's Next? Harry Potter's Movie Future Explained
The Fantastic Beasts series, which contains three films thus far, the first of which was released in 2016, has given Potter enthusiasts a taste of what happened before the iconic series began. And the Wizarding World was further expanded with the Broadway production of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in 2018. Though there has been continued discussion and backlash about J.K. Rowling's stance on transgender issues, rumors continue to spread about the possibility of a Harry Potter television series created by HBO Max.
For all purposes, the Harry Potter landscape appears to be well-established and fully mature, leaving behind a satisfied cast, crew, and, most importantly, audience. As the franchise ages, it appears to be headed the way of the classics that came before, to be enjoyed on its own , leaving no real justification for a reboot. Though this stance may change over time, the franchise remains intact as one of the world's modern film classics.
