IN DEVELOPMENT: Max's "Harry Potter Series"

[BluGalaxy]

Originally Posted by HillSprinter

Shocking that people are bitter about this. It’s like Star Wars all over again.

The reasons are two fold. One it feels entirely too early to reboot the story as yes while it's been a few years the current films still hold up perfectly fine and look great, particularly from 3 onwards.

And the second is because of the track record of remakes, continuations and reboots where the original material is thoroughly disrespected and end up being a stain on the franchise. Devaluing what's already out there.

It's perfectly understandable that seeing whats happened in the last few years, fans would rather let sleeping dogs lie

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by HillSprinter

Shocking that people are bitter about this. It’s like Star Wars all over again.

Originally Posted by Chedwiggen

Could you imagine the fans If Disney said they were remaking the original Star Wars films? Yikes!!!

These aren't inaccurate observations - I too have sensed some of the dark side in some of the foot stamping, particularly of the edge political variety - but, there are a few key differences.

One is that there is no deeper source material for Star Wars to more faithfully adapt - by all accounts, this is intended to be a more accurate adaptation of the books (almost all book readers I know, even those that love the films, say they are still Cliffs Notes versions). Something if you look around at social media, a huge amount of people are absolutely thrilled about ("what I've always wanted!").

That said - I actually think if in 2012 Lucasfilm had said "We are wiping the slate clean, starting all over" - yes, of course, people would have moaned and groaned, but the extended toxicity that happened wouldn't have.

Once you weed out the "herr deurr Rey's a girl" nonsense, you'll find the majority of people who have negative feelings about the Sequel Trilogy are because instead of just starting over, they promised "Your childhood heroes are going to be back in all-new adventures!" People forget, but that was beyond anything anyone ever even dared think was possible - Star Wars was considered dead and buried theatrically. They dangled this gorgeous beyond-our-wildest dreams concept before us - and then proceeded to make the films the way they did, basically regressing the main characters into sad old failures who quite literally fade away and never actually have meaningful interaction.

That's why, frankly, this was the smartest thing they could do with Potter. The arguments against it ("too soon") are relatively weak, given that by the time this comes out, it will have been 15 years since the last original film came out (and nearly a quarter century since they started). And again, they are giving a lot of fans exactly what they asked for - a more faithful adaptation of the books, by the company that invented prestige TV.

I do hope that the "this is ruining my childhood!" folks don't fall down the same trap that the toxic edges of Star Wars fans do - making it their life's work to make a stink about it, going after the cast, etc. I really hope folks rise above it, and don't show how intolerant they actually are if they start ripping into 8 year-olds who are going to be cast.

Those that love the original movies still have them - and no one is trying to change them, this truly is a matter of "if it's not your bag, then don't watch". I have a feeling millions and millions of people out there will, and this will end up being the biggest hit since Game of Thrones (and given it's family-friendly nature, could even topple it with a much wider possible audience) - without the drawbacks that series had, of having incomplete source material.

It's very difficult to actually see any scenario in which this is not a massive success - they have learned from the mistakes of other franchises, are giving the true hard-core audience what they have always wanted, and are going to have a whole new generation (or two!) to capture.

[bferr1972]

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

They dangled this gorgeous beyond-our-wildest dreams concept before us - and then proceeded to make the films the way they did.

Originally Posted by BillieCassin

It's very difficult to actually see any scenario in which this is not a massive success - they have learned from the mistakes of other franchises, are giving the true hard-core audience what they have always wanted, and are going to have a whole new generation (or two!) to capture.

I hope I'm wrong, but beware that you might be setting yourself up for another round of disappointment.

[Kuja]

Yeah, I didn't think Star Wars was based off a book series like HP is? Ultimately the HP films, unlike Star Wars, are simply one adaptation of a popular book series. At the end of the day, the only thing the films will have on the TV series is the ability to attract high profile names like Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Miriam Margoyles, etc. But the TV cast should be fine if the His Dark Materials mini-series' cast was any indication on top of the story being better than the film version because it hasn't been chopped to bits or added to.

Plus, the original writer in this case being involved should block stupid ideas like setting this in France or having Americans play British characters the way somebody involved with the films wanted Robin Williams to play Remus Lupin.

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by bferr1972

I hope I'm wrong, but beware that you might be setting yourself up for another round of disappointment.

Oh, I don't have any skin in the Harry Potter race. I've always found it interesting - but I don't have the patience for the books and while I've seen the films, have never seen any of them more than once. That said, I think it's a great world and I totally look forward to a deeper dive in it.

With Star Wars...literally all I needed was to see Luke, Han, and Leia together on an adventure. They could have put anything else around it, and I would have been fine - but they didn't even deliver on that.

With Potter - again, they are totally getting around that by doing it this way. We know the story to expect, the danger would have been if they had tried to reunite the legacy cast and go from there - besides all the messiness that would have involved, WB still would have been at the mercy of what people thought of the direction and risk trying to come up with new things that would satisfy old fans.

[Joey9775]

You can’t honestly believe that if Disney came out and said we’re remaking the original trilogy and recasting Luke/leia/Han it would have gone over well. They’d still be dealing with backlash today. It would be ghostbusters 2016, failed attempt and wiped from canon/existence.

[JamesKurtovich]

Main difference to me is that the OT is quintessential Star Wars, the source material and blueprint of the franchise. The HP film series isn't that (for me). Rowling's book series is.

The new show can (and probably will) suck, but I'm hopeful. The movies remain the definitive big screen adaptions regardless.

[supersix4]

I think its in good hands with HBO... When have the powers that be ever just wiffed on an adaptation?

[Farerb]

Originally Posted by supersix4

I think its in good hands with HBO... When have the powers that be ever just wiffed on an adaptation?

Game of Thrones.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Farerb

Game of Thrones.

I mean 3 episodes in the final season if an HP series has 3 brutally bad ending episodes and 6 of 7 great seasons I won't be mad.

I don't blame HBO for that if you recall they wanted the show to keep going and everyone else wanted to wrap it up. So I'll lay the blame at Benioff / Weiss/ George RR

[Farerb]

Originally Posted by supersix4

I mean 3 episodes in the final season if an HP series has 3 brutally bad ending episodes and 6 of 7 great seasons I won't be mad.

I don't blame HBO for that if you recall they wanted the show to keep going and everyone else wanted to wrap it up. So I'll lay the blame at Benioff / Weiss/ George RR

George RR Martin said he wanted there to be 13 seasons.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Farerb

George RR Martin said he wanted there to be 13 seasons.

lol never heard that before and he certainly didn't use his power back when season 5/6 contracts were coming due to push for more

[Farerb]

Originally Posted by supersix4

lol never heard that before and he certainly didn't use his power back when season 5/6 contracts were coming due to push for more

George RR Martin says D&D could've kept the show going for "13 seasons" - YouTube

He didn't have any, he wasn't as powerful when he sold the rights to HBO back then, he said that they could decide to have aliens on the show and he couldn't do anything about it, he was actually vocal about choices they made that he disagreed with, like not having characters like Lady Stoneheart or Young Griff, and the way they handled Dorne. It seems though that he has much more influence on House of the Dragon and other spinoffs (after the success of GoT he is in a position where he can have his demands).

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Farerb

George RR Martin says D&D could've kept the show going for "13 seasons" - YouTube

He didn't have any, he wasn't as powerful when he sold the rights to HBO back then, he said that they could decide to have aliens on the show and he couldn't do anything about it, he was actually vocal about choices they made that he disagreed with, like not having characters like Lady Stoneheart or Young Griff, and the way they handled Dorne. It seems though that he has much more influence on House of the Dragon and other spinoffs (after the success of GoT he is in a position where he can have his demands).

Yeah D&D were ready to cash out and go get other project $ till the show imploded at the end and ruined their rep..

My point which is still valid they really just bomb out and crash and burn a series from the get-go let alone quality casting not to say mistakes won't happen along the way but I have wayyyy more faith in HBO than if this project was with any other production company.

[Kuja]

I'm not sure I believe what Martin says most of the time. I remember as GoT was in its middle seasons, reading that D&D had said something about how Martin told them of three major twists in the series back when they started the show. I think the first was the

[Show spoiler] Red Wedding

, of course, then the second was

[Show spoiler]Jon coming back to life

, I think? The third was something that was supposed to happen at the very end, so I'm more likely to believe that

[Show spoiler]Daenerys doing something wrong with her power

is how it's supposed to end--or was, if Martin didn't change his mind in response to the criticism of it. We'll never know now. There had been theories of that kind of ending out there way before the TV series, I believe. Unfortunately, D&D weren't good enough to write an ending on their own, they relied on the books too much and the ending for GoT hadn't been (probably never will be) written, which left them to limp to an ending on their own. I imagine in the hypothetical final book, Martin would have built up to

[Show spoiler]Daenerys' heel turn

in a better way than going with the whole

[Show spoiler]"She's craaaazy"

thing like the show did.

[Show spoiler]Perhaps blowing up King's Landing would have simply been a calculation on her part to scare everyone into supporting her claim over Jon's, for example, since his background comes out and the North would like to support him for the throne over Daenerys at that point. She chooses to have power through fear rather than love, in other words.

Other than the last season, I'd say GoT was a pretty good show all things considered. And thankfully HP's ending is already written.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by Kuja

I'm not sure I believe what Martin says most of the time. I remember as GoT was in its middle seasons, reading that D&D had said something about how Martin told them of three major twists in the series back when they started the show. I think the first was the

[Show spoiler] Red Wedding

, of course, then the second was

[Show spoiler]Jon coming back to life

, I think? The third was something that was supposed to happen at the very end, so I'm more likely to believe that

[Show spoiler]Daenerys doing something wrong with her power

is how it's supposed to end--or was, if Martin didn't change his mind in response to the criticism of it. We'll never know now. There had been theories of that kind of ending out there way before the TV series, I believe. Unfortunately, D&D weren't good enough to write an ending on their own, they relied on the books too much and the ending for GoT hadn't been (probably never will be) written, which left them to limp to an ending on their own. I imagine in the hypothetical final book, Martin would have built up to

[Show spoiler]Daenerys' heel turn

in a better way than going with the whole

[Show spoiler]"She's craaaazy"

thing like the show did.

[Show spoiler]Perhaps blowing up King's Landing would have simply been a calculation on her part to scare everyone into supporting her claim over Jon's, for example, since his background comes out and the North would like to support him for the throne over Daenerys at that point. She chooses to have power through fear rather than love, in other words.

Other than the last season, I'd say GoT was a pretty good show all things considered. And thankfully HP's ending is already written.

It's all so convoluted at this point with them and nobody wants to take blame for the disaster thet was the last few episodes as everyone was trying to get their paychecks and move on.. The greed and checked out mindset of a few ruined what had been a smash for 6/7 seasons


But I can't see how anyone in this thread would doubt HBOs track record of success not to say they don't have a few missteps here and there but if in 10 years we've got 6-7 great seasons of Harry Potter A+ casting choices and maybe some debate about a few bad episodes I'd say its more than worth it.

I'd be far more worried if it was going to be with Netflix, Amazon, or Showtime than HBO. You really can count on 1 to 2 hands the number of bad series they've put out vs. the other companies

[rexcrk]

Originally Posted by HillSprinter

Shocking that people are bitter about this. It’s like Star Wars all over again.

It’s all part of nerd rage culture lmao I think people just like / want to be angry at something. Being a “nerd” is supposed to be fun, but instead it seems to bring out the absolute worst in people.

What I don’t understand is why it has to be so personal. This new Harry Potter series isn’t going to take away the books you loved as a kid and into your late teens, it’s not going to take away the movies you loved in your early teens into your twenties. And if it turns out to be garbage, you literally are under no obligation to watch it or even think about it.

[Schwartzy]

It does cheapen the series already a bit if they borrow the look of hogwarts and sets and music.. just lazy, well that remakes usually are but still.

[DexterCA]

Originally Posted by rexcrk

It’s all part of nerd rage culture lmao I think people just like / want to be angry at something. Being a “nerd” is supposed to be fun, but instead it seems to bring out the absolute worst in people.

What I don’t understand is why it has to be so personal.This new Harry Potter series isn’t going to take away the books you loved as a kid and into your late teens, it’s not going to take away the movies you loved in your early teens into your twenties. And if it turns out to be garbage, you literally are under no obligation to watch it or even think about it.

I fully support it. Personally, that's how it worked for me with Lord of the Rings.

[JamesKurtovich]

Originally Posted by Schwartzy

It does cheapen the series already a bit if they borrow the look of hogwarts and sets and music.. just lazy, well that remakes usually are but still.

I think it's a given they'll be using the established look and layout of Hogwarts.

They'll go the Legacy route and use Williams-like music probably.