Harry Potter Reboot Will Inevitably Happen In Our Lifetime

  
The adventures of the Boy Who Lived ended its first run in 2007 in print, then later in 2011 in film. In that time, J.K. Rowling became a billionaire, the film franchise was the most profitable series in history and the stars were so rich they didn't need to ever work again though they went on to different pictures (at least, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson did— Rupert Grint is probably tinkering around with that ice cream truck he bought). Harry Potter has earned a well-deserved spot in the field of pop culture alongside other classics and will endure for many decades to come. 

Except it is anything but over.

Following Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows-Part 2 in 2011, J.K. Rowling and Sony collaborated in launching the interactive site, Pottermore, though it’d be almost another year before it was ready for worldwide launch. Pottermore offered users an opportunity to rediscover the Harry Potter saga in a different light by offering a plethora of untold material and information from J.K. Rowling herself while taking part in wizard duels, earning house points to win the House Cup, etc etc. 

In some ways, it was a website version of a game that spanned from the Philosopher’s Stone to the Deathly Hallows. 

As of now (September 28^th, 2013), the first three books are available with the remaining four still on the way. Given that they release it in a bunch of chapters at different intervals and that the last four books are behemoth narratives, expect the final chapter of the Deathly Hallows to be online between 2016-2018. 

On September 12^th, 2013, Warner Bros. announced plans to produce an adaptation of the book Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, the first in a new series with J.K. Rowling acting as scribe, marking her debut as a screenplay writer. “The first in a new series” means that they are looking at this as a long-term project, not merely a one-off film (unless the film flops at the box-office). By calculation, the film could go into production as early as 2014 or 2015; filming might commence late 2015 or early 2016; post-production could last as long as until 2017. 

In short, expect Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hitting cinemas either by 2017 or 2018- EARLIEST. 

 

Should the film succeed and Warner Bros. greenlight at least two more sequels for a trilogy, say, it would likely finish either in 2024 (if they go about it one film straight after the other) or if they space it out, by 2028 (one film every three years). 

All in all, we could be getting Harry Potter and Harry Potter-related works as far as 2020 and beyond. The books still sell (Scholastic, the American publishers, recently launched a new edition line up with new cover art and it’s GORGEOUS!), there’s a theme park with another one under construction and there will always be the DVD Collector’s Sets. If Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them succeeds at the box-office as well as they’re expecting it to, Harry Potter will be sticking around for a long time to come and then will come the fateful day when Warner Bros. may decide to revisit the original goldmine itself: Harry Potter.  

 The Scholastic new edition

And God Bless the chumps who:

     a)  give the all-clear for a Harry Potter reboot and 

     b)  have to step into the large shoes of the filmmakers of the original franchise.

At first, the idea of a Harry Potter reboot is akin to the suggestion of remaking the original Star Wars films (that’s why we’re getting a new trilogy instead) or The Lord of the Rings trilogy; like attempting to do a modern version of The Godfather or Casablanca (there’s probably a special place in Hell reserved for people who ever attempt the latter— looking at the crew involved in the upcoming Ben-Hur remake). It’s only going to drive fans mad and cause them to cry "foul!", citing the move as nothing but a greedy cash grab. The chances of a reboot being an absolutely spectacular disaster is also quite high: not only will the reboot be required to match the critical and financial success of the film franchise but also replicate the same phenomenon that kept the franchise running for ten years- that's why other Harry Potter-esque adaptations never work, they don't take the time to careful work it out. It is like trying to capture lightning twice but this time with a high possibility of getting struck down by it instead. 

Only… why not? A reboot isn't an entirely unwelcome consideration.

In this dangerous game, there is one trump card that could work in the favour of a new Harry Potter series: the chance to offer something new- to get it right this time.

The biggest problem that the film franchise faced when they bought the rights all the way back in the late 90s was that at that time, only four books were published. The last three were still works-in-progress and while J.K. Rowling advised them on the creative direction the filmmakers took, she never gave away any major reveals- hence, they had to make up a great deal of it along the way. It was only until 2007 by which time Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released that fans knew the end of the story. By which time, plots which were dropped out in previous films would factor in a major way towards the last films but it was too late to change. Hence, some shoddy twisting was needed to cover up some of the gaping plot holes that were starting to appear in the films. 

But now, having knowledge of how everything plays out would allow for a more faithful and smoother adaptation, perhaps with a singular vision from start to end with one director at the helm throughout like Peter Jackson and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

That being said, I’m not in favour of another film series. While some material left out might be able to be put back in, there will still have to be sections cut to fit a film’s running time. 

No, if Harry Potter is to make his return, the best medium to do so would be that of television. But not in a live-action format— instead, it should be an animated series. 

Why? 

1) No worries about the special effects

This is a no-brainer. A live-action Harry Potter television series would require a large budget to bring the magic of Hogwarts to life and regardless of the popularity of the brand, it is unlikely that any television network would sanction the money for it. 

 

With animation, however, the imagination is limitless and much of the wizarding world magic can be created with little worry about budgets. As Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra have demonstrated, the medium of animation allows for some truly spectacular sequences which simply cannot be replicated in real life (as M. Night Shymalan’s adaptation, The Last Airbender, learnt to its critical mistake). 

While most animated fare on American television stick to half an hour episodes, however, an animated Harry Potter series would benefit more from a one-hour episode not unlike those of drama shows. It could take the Game of Thrones approach to approximate one book per season (until you get to the Goblet of Fire), easily carrying on the show for seven to eight seasons at LEAST. 

Besides, it’s about time someone showed Americans and Brits that animation is a serious medium and not merely kid’s fare, as veterans like Hayao Miyazaki has proven time and again with adult mature-themed classics  like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. And what better than Harry Potter, having previously revolutionised the fantasy genre in both literature and film, to make a third stride in the realm of television this time?   

2) Allows for a better paced out story and exploration into the world of Hogwarts

One-hour episodes would not only cover a good portion of the story each week but also give enough time to delve deeply into the worlds of the supporting cast. Examining the lives of characters like Neville Longbottom, Malfoy, Dean Thomas, etc. and how they cope with surviving in the magical world would be a fantastic chance to flesh out the characters on-screen rather than off-screen and see the world through their eyes and perspective. 

Also, we might finally get to see Peeves the Poltergeist in catastrophic mayhem.

3) The opportunity to add new material that could not otherwise be put in a film

Not just subplots like the house elves working at Hogwarts, S.P.E.W., the Quidditch matches (IMAGINE THE GREAT QUIDDITCH MATCHES THAT COULD BE DRAWN!) but also opportunities to see the shenanigans which the students get up to. This is, after all, a magical boarding school. Angst, rivalries, friendship— all these themes are in the books and would work wonderfully on television. Also, character favourites like Winky, Ludo Bagman, Bill and Charlie Weasley, etc. can be given a chance to appear.

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Given that it’s done right, handled smartly and offers something new, a Harry Potter reboot wouldn't be unwelcome. Certianly, it is on the horizon, I'm sure people at Warner Bros. are simply saying, "Not yet". Perhaps not even for the next twenty to thirty years. 

But within the sixty years? It wouldn’t be surprising, not surprising at all.

MISCHIEF MANAGED!

How The Final Season of Dexter Should Have Ended

This isn't a parody or my original creations which I'm about to suggest: it's taking the ideas which were used in the show and showing how they could have been used to great effect than it was.
* WARNING: SPOILERS FROM THE FINAL SEASON AND SERIES FINAL FOLLOW *

Alright, let's get down to it, shall we? We don't have all day, after all. 

(NOTE: this is about how the final season could have played out, not other seasons. With exceptions...)

Here’s how I would have— given the opportunity— have the final season of DEXTER play out:

1) Have one Big Bad over 3 seasons

Remember Louis Greene, the creepy computer programmer from season six? The one who showed Dexter his latest game where the user played a serial killer, sent him the hand from The Ice Truck Killer case, seemed to know about Dexter... and then was unceremoniously killed by a bullet to the head?

 

That was one of the biggest wasted opportunities and a shameful one at that because it could have played out interestingly. In fact, he would have been the perfect foil to Dexter, as I will list out in Reason Two. A Big Bad who remained mysterious while operating from the background (think Thanos from The Avengers) before revealing himself in the final season would have been far more exciting than a poor copycat killer of the Ice Truck Killer, the forgettable The Brain Surgeon.

Wait, you still want to tie it into Vogel’s story? You could make Greene turn out to be Vogel's son- perhaps tracking down his mother since his escape, learning about Dexter and wishing to get rid of him as revenge. It’d still be more compelling than what was delivered. As for sounding too far-fetched, well… in this show, it’s a norm. 

There could still be a way to bring in Vogel without needing the Brain Surgeon. Even then, it wouldn't need to be too much bother because what they should have done next is... 

2) Have the Big Bad (in this case, Greene) blow Dexter's secret wide open and put him on the run

QUICK! Think- what was the most interesting season of Dexter, apart from season one and four?

Your answer was SEASON TWO, right? 

Why would that be? Well, apart from the fact that it was bloody brilliant, it was because it was NAIL-BITING and TENSE storytelling from start to finish. Dexter didn’t have to go up against a Big Bad- he had to fend off a cop doing his duty (Doakes), contend with a crazy lady (Lila) and struggle to keep everyone else from uncovering his secret. AND IT WAS ALL GOOD! 

See, Dexter has always been at his best when backed into a corner and forced to use his wits to escape. He never really needed a Big Bad to always go up against and besides— the two best villains could never be topped. The Ice Truck Killer is brilliant because of his connection to Dexter and the Trinity Killer gets the top spot because of John Lithgow's brilliant scenery-chewing performance. 

 

So instead of a Brain Surgeon messing Dexter’s life, it would have been more poetic for Dexter to be undone by something he deemed inconsequential and forgot about- a fatal mistake. Perhaps the Big Bad could have slowly started leaking information to the Miami Metro about how The Bay Harbor Butcher may be connected to the Ice Truck Killer, The Skinner, Trinity, Miguel Prado, the Barrel Girl Killers (you get the picture), prompting an investigation that ends with them realizing *gasp* it's been Dexter all along! 

In one move:

- LaGuerta's death becomes relevant;

- the characters stop acting stupidly;

- GOOD EXCITING TENSION-FILLED DRAMA! 

And another way to achieve the above (amongst other ways) would have been by...

3) Debra also being responsible for Dexter's downfall

The best thing about the last two seasons (and the only good thing about season eight) was the relationship between Dexter and Debra once the latter discovered her brother's secret. Jennifer Carpenter's performance is worthy of an Emmy and absolutely compelling to watch. Ultimately, it caused her to kill LaGuerta to protect Dexter, resign the force, turn to drinking and ended stuck in a downward spiral. To top it off, she seemed to really hate Dexter for what he'd done, even driving his car off the road to kill him before ending up saving him. It was some great stuff… until they patched it all up over the course of one episode.

What should have happened:

When Deb was at her lowest and if she hated Dexter so much, she ought to have started plotting to bring Dexter him down by dropping clues to Elway before eventually having a change of heart and tossing it all aside, like the Hannah McKay case. But like what happened in season eight, it would have set in motion an unstoppable chain of events which could have happened concurrently with the Hannah McKay storyline (see how much potential was missed out?!). All this could happen parallel to the Big Bad's schemes before it all explodes in one huge fireworks display.

Not to mention, it would have created an extremely sticky situation for Dexter. Once he was on the run, his first response would be to turn to the one person he could trust- Deb, only to find out that she was unintentionally involved as well. If this happened EVEN WITHOUT the Big Bad, it would have still worked out beautifully because Dexter wouldn’t just be treading water in a deep dark well— he'd be drowning in it.   

With the above three possibilities, now picture how the last couple of episodes could have played out: 

Elway is closing in on Dexter’s trail, maybe helped from the shadows by Louis Greene. Perhaps Miami Metro is also connecting the pieces. Hannah returns and Dex has to hide her (incorporating that storyline effectively without merely shoehorning it in like what happened). Deb and Dexter have just returned things to a more stable relationship. Then the Big Bad reveals himself to Dexter and promises to destroy Dexter for ruining his life (Greene was dedicated to destroy Dexter in Season 7- see, I'm not even making it up, just taking what they already did and modifying it). He disappears... and makes a sudden appearance one day on television to reveal the Bay Harbor Butcher's identity. BOOM! Miami Metro is shocked and forced to hunt down their colleague, Dexter finds out what Deb had done, Elway and the US Marshall are closing in on both Hannah (like what happened in season 8) and Dexter (which did not happen). Deb is forced to choose sides— to hunt Dexter or help him. And Dexter can't go after Greene now because it wouldn’t help.

Now isn’t THAT a final season you’d rather have watched? 

RETURN TO THE WORLD OF BLOGGING AND THE END OF DEXTER

It's been 3 months since I last wrote something. What gives?

Two words: Dexter series finale. Okay, three words. 

*SPOILERS FOLLOW*

 

I latched onto Dexter relatively late into the game- five years late, to be precise. By the time I caught up, the sixth season had already started rolling, which means I was in the current loop for the last three seasons.

Three seasons which, to be honest, felt like an extended epilogue to a series that could have easily ended with the fifth season. In other words: seasons six, seven and eight were pretty mediocre.

Okay, that's a little harsh. The seventh season in particular picked up the bad taste left behind by the largely forgettable sixth season save for the long overdue reveal of the real Dexter to his sister. 

But the final season... oh the final season. It is unfathomable to understand how the writers could have possibly squandered and butchered the last adventures of the eponymous Dexter Morgan. By the time the series finale ended, it wasn't so much a "WTF?!" reaction as an "Oh well" one. Save for that particular scene (I shan't spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet) towards the end with probably the best music the show has ever drummed up in its eight-year run, the last one hour of Dexter was an empty reminder of a taut compelling show it was once upon a time. 

Where did it go wrong?

* Again- SPOILERS TO FOLLOW! Stop reading if you haven't watched the final season *

Firstly: the writers treated the characters with way too much disrespect and tossed their sensibility right through the window- nay! it SMASHED THE GLASS AND FLEW WAY OUT OF ORBIT! For a show about a serial killer who had to keep making smart decisions to not get caught, the people in it are so oblivious that if real, I'd demand they be fired from the Miami Metro for such incompetence.

Secondly: there didn't seem to be any proper direction in which this season was heading. They kept making half-assed decisions and whenever something was getting interesting (Dexter getting a protege, Cassie, the tension between Dex and Deb), they'd completely smash it aside for something mundane.

Thirdly: they took a bunch of interesting ideas and executed them terribly and played it safe. Somebody should have hired George R. R. Martin to teach them about how in a good story, nobody- ESPECIALLY the hero- should be exempt from death.

By the time the credits rolled, I felt sad- for all the wrong reasons. That the one consistently great character met an utterly unworthy demise (no, not Dexter) at the hands of the worst villain on the show, that the most moving element of the episode was the score in arguably the only scene which elicited SOME emotion, that it was an overall sloppy season ever- it all snowballed into a series finale that was largely forgettable and one that many fans of Dexter would be happy to forget. 

Don't forget to check out: How The Final Season of Dexter Should Have Ended