Why Harry Potter’s TV Show Should Avoid Every Fan’s Favorite Idea

The rumored Harry Potter TV show should focus on new characters and should avoid using every Wizarding World fan’s favorite idea – a Marauders or first Order of the Phoenix story. Whilst HBO chief content officer, Casey Bloys, recently denied that there is a Wizarding World TV show in development, the rumors, which heated up in January 2021, are not going away. It seems that it is a matter of when, not if, there will be a TV show set in the world of Potter. The relatively poor critical and commercial performances of the Fantastic Beasts films, and the negative fan reception of the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child script, suggests that it is time for the Wizarding World to focus on new characters.

The first of the original seven Potter books was published in 1997 and, since then, the Wizarding World has become one of the most successful literary and cinematic universes ever created. The books’ immediate and unprecedented success meant that spin-off content was near-inevitable. The first piece of spin-off content arrived in the form of the video game Lego Creator: Harry Potter. Released shortly before Harry Potter and thePhilosopher’s Stone hit theatres in November 2001, the game allowed players to control various characters and visit several Potter locations. Since Lego Creator: Harry Potter was released, 10 films, numerous spin-off books, a stage-play, and a host of video games have given Potter fans plenty of content to satisfy their Wizarding World itch. That Rowling and her creative team have managed to resist a TV show set in the universe for so long is quite remarkable. However, with the rise of big-budget television media over the last decade, and the continued fan interest in the series, the announcement of a Potter TV show appears imminent.

With rumors of a small screen adaption growing in circulation seemingly every year, fans have speculated on which stories from the Wizarding World they would like to see. A fan discussion (via Reddit) puts a show focused on the Marauders at the top of their agenda. However, we already know what happened to James Potter, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Re-treading their time at Hogwarts would feel lazy. Given the negative critical reaction to post-Deathly Hallows Part Two stories focused on existing characters, the Fantastic Beasts series and the Cursed Child script, in particular, suggests that future Potter content should focus on entirely new characters.

The Reddit thread’s other favored show would focus on Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s time after Hogwarts. However, the Cursed Child has already told this story. Furthermore, many fans were not happy with the stage play. A Harry Potter TV show should tell an original story about new characters. Setting the show long before the events of the original books would be the best way to give new Wizarding World content the chance to succeed. There is a great deal of excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the Hogwarts Legacy video game, which is set in the late nineteenth century. The video game can still reconnect to the original books through well-known settings and world details; however, it will be able to carve out its own legacy by telling a story that fans have never heard before. A Harry Potter TV show should toe the same line.

Many other major franchises have expanded into television in recent years. Arguably, the most successful of these ventures has been The Mandalorian. Although some returning characters have been featured in the show, including Boba Fett, The Mandalorian can be enjoyed without prior knowledge of the franchise. The Mandalorian has been successful with both long-time Star Wars fans and audiences new to the franchise. Just like recent nostalgia-obsessed Star Wars movies, the cinematic Wizarding World has suffered from being too beholden to the past. A Harry Potter TV show must not make the same mistake.

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