For a long time, the significance and legacy of theHarry Potterfranchise seemed indisputable. Between the successful books,thriving movies, and a theme park at Universal, it appeared that nothing was capable of tearing down the beautifully built mark thatHarry Potterleft on the world. It was known in almost every form of pop culture. But, as time went on, things started to change. AlthoughHarry Potterwas still holding solid, other franchises were not only becoming significant impacts on pop culture, but the controversies surrounding series creator J.K Rowling started becoming a more significant presence. It also did not help thatHarry Potter and the Cursed Childonly brought out anger and confusion from fans as they tried to piece together how the new story made sense, given the massive plot holes in the big twist.
But that was not the onlyHarry Pottercontent to fail in the aftermath of when the original films concluded.Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Themwas never quite able to match the original spirit of the franchise. It failed to such a degree that Warner Brothers cut off the series early when there were still two movies left in the overall plot. Granted, theFantastic Beastsseries was also riddled with its own controversy from its creator to the cast. Although theHarry Potterfranchise may never keep the legacy it may have had without the controversy and spinoffs, rebooting it will only hurt the franchise further.
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Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts Failed
If there was any hope for theHarry Potterfranchise to continue building on its success afterHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2premiered, it likely would have relied on howHarry Potter and the Cursed ChildandFantastic Beastsdid based on the fan reaction. Unfortunately, however, neither received much love from fans. WhileHarry Potter and the Cursed Childmay have made money from its stage performances and fans rushing to buy the script and discover the next chapter of the story, fans were sorelydisappointed and angered by the play’s storyline. Meanwhile,Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themcould not even manage to complete its story.
While some of the original magic and charm may have died over the years as fanexcitement may have transitioned over to the Marvel Cinematic Universeand other streaming services over time, had fans truly believed in the franchises, they would have continued to build them up. Instead, fans found issues with several aspects of both spinoff plot lines. There was a point where fans highly anticipated the nextHarry Potterbook and movie, waiting anxiously to learn what happened next. Unfortunately, that excitement had died off.
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Inability to Change Perspective
Sometimes, a reboot differentiates itself from the original installment bychanging anything from the main character’s age, friends, family, or background. Not everything in a reboot needs to remain the same. Sometimes, changing the perspective or altering details to create a new story adds life to a previously finished series.Harry Pottermay not have that option. The novels and original films take place from Harry’s perspective because his years at Hogwarts are the main story, just as he rests at the center of the central conflict with Voldemort. Rebooting the franchise with someone else as the main character may give an intriguing new layer to them, such as understanding Draco’s transition from child bully to young Death Eater or Neville’s transformation from shy kid to the leader of Dumbledore’s Army.
However, theHarry Potterseries is mainly set in stone. Harry’s escape to Hogwarts is so fulfilling because of the horrors he faces at the Dursleys, and since so much of the story relies on Harry’s lack of knowledge of the wizarding world, having him grow up with a wizard alters his backstory too much. While it may be a happier childhood to grow up with Sirius or Remus or even the Weasleys, such a change would result in massive alterations to the series. ChangingJames and Lily’s fatefor a reboot would not work either, as part of the tragedy, along with Snape’s motivation to become a double agent, relies on it. Following any other character’s story means understanding less of the wizarding world because Harry is at the center of everything.
It Would be an Unnecessary Reboot
Due tothe original movies beingreleased simultaneously with the books, not all the information about the characters and storylines was known by the time the movies were being made. But, while the books finished being published a few years before the films completed their run, by that point, it was too late to go back and incorporate what ended up being essential plot lines in the books. Therefore, a reboot could participate in all those other elements of the story that the originals were incapable of at the time. However, it would also be unnecessary. For the most part, as movies, it would just be rehashing the same storylines for the same reasons the original films left details out from the books, which would help save time.
While a television show would offer more time, it would still constantly be compared to the movies that came before it. Besides, in addition to everyone knowing how the story ends, the anticipation and excitement for the franchise has dwindled over the years. Rebooting the franchise would rely on nostalgia people may have for the characters and Hogwarts. But what could it add to the world that could get the audience excited again? Or would it fall flat on its face and be another piece ofHarry Pottercontent that could not live up to the hype? Understanding when to read the room and let something go could allow theHarry Potterfranchise to keep at least some of its original dignity rather than another embarrassing failure.
