Warner Bros has announced a Harry Potter TV show, with each season devoted to a book, but it has already made its worst decision. The Harry Potter TV show is set to be created over a 10-year timeframe, with a completely new cast, in an attempt to create a TV show that is faithful to the books. Using a season for each book will allow the Harry Potter TV show to include many storylines and moments that were left out of the movies and re-introduce the stories to the next generation. The Harry Potter TV show is set to air on Max, currently HBO Max, but there is no timeline as of yet.
The announcement of the Harry Potter TV show has been met with backlash from audiences, who are confused as to why a Harry Potter remake is being made when the movies only finished twelve years ago. The recent failure of the Fantastic Beasts franchise has also been a stain on the Harry Potter legacy which raises the question of how successful a new TV show could be. Harry Potter fans have long been asking for a TV show to explore the Wizarding World more, with a story dedicated to the Marauders being a popular one, so many are frustrated by the remake of already beloved content instead of using the same care for an original story.
JK Rowling’s Involvement Is The Harry Potter TV Show’s Worst Decision
The biggest controversy over the Harry Potter TV remake is the appointment of JK Rowling as executive producer. JK Rowling has come under fire for her views on transgender rights, with many of the main Harry Potter actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, distancing themselves from her. Warner Bros has kept a strong relationship with Rowling since the Harry Potter movies and have worked with Rowling to expand the Wizarding World, including the creation of Fantastic Beasts, The Cursed Child, and the Harry Potter theme parks.
JK Rowling taking the role of executive producer is Warner Bros' biggest mistake as it will turn many fans away from watching. Plenty of Harry Potter fans boycotted the game Hogwarts Legacy due to the payment Rowling would get from it. If Warner Bros were trying to expand their audience to the next generation, including JK Rowling after the backlash she has received is the worst way to do it. The Harry Potter TV show is intent on being faithful to the books, under Rowling’s watch, but will mean storylines such as the house elf slavery are included which, since it is ignored by everyone but Hermione, will only add to the controversy.
JK Rowling’s Involvement May Not Be As Bad As It Seems
JK Rowling’s involvement in the Harry Potter TV show may not be as bad as it seems, especially since the depth of her involvement in currently unknown. Hogwarts Legacy was created without JK Rowling’s involvement but since she owns the rights to the franchise’s intellectual property, Rowling was still paid royalties. The same applies to new movie and tv show adaptations, these have to credit JK Rowling in some form, even minuscule, due to her owning the IP, plus, it is common for the author to be an executive producer to ensure faithfulness to the content.
JK Rowling may be the executive producer, but it has not been announced whether she will be co-writing as she did for Fantastic Beasts and The Cursed Child. Rowling’s presence will still be prominent in the Harry Potter TV show, but it could just be to ensure all the important storylines are told, and other, questionable ones need not be revisited. JK Rowling’s involvement is still the most controversial aspect of the Harry Potter TV show, but with the backlash surrounding the appointment, Warner Bros may restrict Rowling’s influence.