The confirmed Harry Potter remake will bring audiences back to Hogwarts Castle, but it will have some obstacles to overcome regarding the set. The original Harry Potter movies have become a staple of popular culture, and even those who don't consider themselves fans will likely recognize the famous magical castle. Countless memorabilia has been printed with towers and turrets, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park has a breathtaking replica. Of course, this creates a problem if the HBO remake wishes to make some changes to the traditional set.
A remake of the Harry Potter movies has been confirmed by HBO, who promises a 'book faithful' adaptation. This will mean an entire season dedicated to each of J.K. Rowling's books—so a lot more time to explore the aspects of the wizarding world that the movies missed out on. This should also allow audiences to see parts of Hogwarts Castle that had previously been neglected, such as the kitchens, additional classrooms, secret passageways, and much more. However, this will mean that the memorable set from the Harry Potter movies must be altered.
The Traditional Hogwarts Castle Set Is A Problem For The HBO Remake
The Hogwarts set seen in the Harry Potter movies is what most fans will picture when they think of the wizarding school. The ancient building described in the books was masterfully brought to the screen for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone film in 2001, and it would be difficult for fans to replace this image with a new set. However, HBO's Harry Potter remake will likely want to bring something new to the screen to set it apart. Moreover, the traditional movie set was pretty limited—only showing a select number of Hogwarts locations—and a faithful book adaptation will require something more.
This could be a problem for several reasons. Fans are likely to be resistant to too many changes, and it's vital that Hogwarts still be recognizable. Additionally, a brand new set would render all past memorabilia and a lot of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park redundant—which would be costly. Therefore, HBO will have to be careful about how they handle set changes and find a balance between what fans are familiar with and giving them something new to behold. Thankfully, the Harry Potter franchise has already provided a great start here.
The Harry Potter Remake Can Use Hogwarts Legacy’s Castle Design
The video game Hogwarts Legacy faced a similar issue as the upcoming Harry Potter remake. Though the set from the movies is beloved, it was much smaller in scale than the castle described in the books. If players were to have an open world to explore as if they were really attending the school, they would need to create entire rooms, towers, stairways, and passages that hadn't been seen in the movies. Additionally, some changes would have to be made to the familiar locations of the films to make them more book accurate.
This problem was approached with great care, and the result was something truly spectacular. Hogwarts Legacy provided its players with a castle that looked very much like the one they had spent years watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione maneuver in the movies, while also including some of the favorite locations in the books. It included the standard beige stone walls, floors, and ceilings seen in the corridors of the movies while adding entire chambers with marble floors and colorful tapestries. Hogwarts became far more expansive while still feeling comfortable and familiar.
Hogwarts Legacy's changes to the Harry Potter school were heartily accepted. It was a seamless transition, meaning the HBO remake has had the hard work done for it. The castle design has already been established and embraced by fans, so all the TV series has to do is recreate it (perhaps at a slightly smaller scale) and fill it with its new cast. This will mean a cohesive world where audiences feel entirely at home.
Why A Bigger Set Is A Must For A Book Faithful Harry Potter Remake
Of course, the Hogwarts Legacy castle design is massive, and there is little hope that HBO will be able to recreate it entirely. However, by including the fresh new look of locations like the library or the various colorful halls (and those gorgeous greenhouses), the TV series will have a better chance at the promised book-faithful adaptation. The Harry Potter movies had been limited in this. They made the castle vast and beautiful, but it felt much smaller than the world described on the page.
The Golden Trio's adventures in the Harry Potter books spanned far more locations across the castle, but the movies reduced this to the limited sets they had available. However, the HBO remake's ambitious plans, combined with the considerably more advanced modern technology, mean an opportunity for a far more book-accurate setting. It may not be as big as the Harry Potter video game, but something similar could make audiences feel even more connected to the beloved wizarding world.