Harry Potter star Rupert Grint recently weighed in on the possibility of an HBO Max TV spinoff of the beloved blockbuster franchise, saying he'll be interested to see what story the writers choose to tell. Eager Harry Potter fans have been quick to theorize about the many different directions the show could take and how it could avoid making the same mistakes as Fantastic Beasts.
But little is known about the plot of the live-action spinoff, which is reportedly in early development at HBO Max. Sources claim that studio executives have met with potential writers and explored various story ideas in the hopes of bringing the Wizarding World to television. Thus far, however, no writers or talent are attached to the project.
And unfortunately for die-hard Potterheads, Grint told Variety he doesn't expect to be involved in the HBO Max spinoff series. The actor said he thinks a continuation of the original Harry Potter franchise would be "weird" and admitted he is very "protective" of his fan-favorite character Ron Weasley. According to Grint, it would be interesting for the show to follow an entirely different group of friends as they learn to navigate magic at Hogwarts. Check out Grint's full quote below:
“It’ll be weird if it was a continuation kind of thing. I weirdly feel quite protective of that character. Even when I saw the stage shows, it was a very strange experience. … If it’s like a different group of friends, I guess it would be interesting.”
In all likelihood, most Harry Potter fans are at least as protective - if not more protective - of the iconic redhead (and all of the other characters from the film franchise). It would be a dangerous move for HBO Max to tamper with any original characters or the original story, especially if central cast members don't plan to reprise their roles in the show. However, the people behind the potential spinoff series know this. They will likely pursue different story ideas that are far enough removed from the original franchise but still manage to capture the same magic that made Harry Potter such a classic.
The series could tell the Marauders' story or the original Order of the Phoenix, both of which would expand the Wizarding World without tinkering with the original films. HBO Max tends to skew darker and more mature in its content, so perhaps the show will try to appeal to an older audience who grew up alongside Harry. The only thing that's certain at this point regarding the potential Harry Potter TV series is that it can't come fast enough.
Source: Variety