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 28th,
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 12th, 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.
*
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!
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