We have been hearing the Harry Potter story from only one point of view for over 20 years. Through all films, the formula was simple: follow Harry, make the plot happen, and slash anything that felt superfluous to the main narrative. This led to eight fantastic films, but countless elements of the Wizarding World were cut. But thankfully, that’s about to change with HBO’s series coming in 2027.
The show is being adapted from the seven books, one per season. However, in the same way that the films were playing a race against the clock, the TV show gives its creators a huge amount of space. That time isn’t just being taken to tell Harry’s story at a slower pace. It’s being used to tell stories that the films did not, about forgotten characters on the periphery, and about spaces in Hogwarts never before seen on film.
Harry Potter – A bigger sandbox, a fuller world
Francesca Gardiner (the showrunner) and Mark Mylod (the director) have not been shy about their goals. According to the HarryPotter.com website, they have said this is an opportunity to play on a much bigger canvas than the films. Hogwarts itself is being expanded. The Great Hall will look just like we remember, but rooms we never got to see, for example, the teachers’ staffroom, are being created for the first time.
Gardiner said that they want the castle to feel like a real, breathing place with its own history and its own character. This is a major difference. The films, though fantastic, really had to take Hogwarts as a landscape of sorts. The Harry Potter series has the luxury of making it a real character.
Characters who finally get their moment in the Harry Potter series
One of the most tantalizing promises of the new Harry Potter series is the return (well, debut) of characters the movies didn’t quite have time to slot in.
Perhaps the biggest movie offence was Peeves the Poltergeist. The ghost was a ubiquitous part of J.K. Rowling’s books who loved making students’ lives miserable, and had even been filmed as part of the original movie, starring stand-up comedian Rik Mayall, before the scenes were cut. It always irked book readers that he never actually made it on screen, and now Mylod and Gardiner say he will be in the series, and that they intend to have some fun with him wandering the halls of Hogwarts. It shows they are really dedicated to the books, not the films.
Charlie Weasley is in another overdue lineup. Ron’s brother, the dragon tamer, had a purpose in the books but has hardly any screen time other than to be seen in a family picture. The Harry Potter series has the chance to make him a proper character.
And then there’s Hermione’s house-elf campaign. In the books, Hermione leads a passionate and quite unsuccessful movement to fight for the rights of house-elves. It adds a layer of moral awareness and a discussion on social justice in the Wizarding World. It was severely understated in the films, and a TV series with several seasons should bring it back.
Neville Longbottom, who was the almost Chosen One in the books, not Harry, also has a lot to look forward to. His story in the books is full of emotions, and the films may have given him a few scenes to shine in, but not enough. Since the series has cast Rory Wilmot as Neville, fans are excited to see Neville get the attention.
Harry Potter – Seeing Hogwarts through other eyes
Perhaps the biggest change from the books and film so far is that the HBO version of the story won’t be solely from Harry’s perspective.
We are basically behind Harry’s shoulder in the books all the time, and the films continued that perspective. However, Lox Pratt (who plays Draco Malfoy) told 1883 Magazine that the Harry Potter series will be breaking away from that trope.
“I think [showrunners] Francesca [Gardiner] and Mark [Mylod] have been audible about this in their interviews, there’s just so much more that you get to see. You get to see all the teachers in their little rooms. You get to see Draco at home.”
This is a courageous directorial decision. It changes the narrative from a hero’s journey into something more akin to an ensemble drama. Something which features Hogwarts as not only a backdrop in which Harry comes of age, but a living, breathing world in which dozens of plots unfold at once.
The creative leadership also deserves a mention. Showrunner Gardiner is no stranger to crafting quality, character-based television, having been the mind behind Succession. Mylod, another Succession veteran who has helmed episodes for Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, is behind the directorial chair, bringing some real prestige TV weight with him. JK Rowling is also Executive Producer, so there’s no fear of it deviating too much from the books.
Harry Potter is supported by a brilliant adult cast that surrounds the three young leads. John Lithgow takes on Professor Dumbledore. Paapa Essiedu is Severus Snape. And Janet McTeer is Professor McGonagall. These aren’t actors who have been cast purely for star power; they are seasoned professionals who imply the show aims to give its adult characters some genuine consideration.
Edited by Sahiba Tahleel