When I first heard that we were getting a Harry Potter TV series, courtesy of HBO, I wasn’t terribly surprised. It was only a matter of time before we circled back to it. Harry Potter is a global phenomenon with the series selling over 600 million copies, sporting hugely successful film adaptations and additionally prompting numerous outlets for audience engagement through various mediums, like the experiential form present in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the many video games to be played. It has cemented itself in pop culture relevance.

The impact and output of Harry Potter made me hope that all its engagement would suffice as enough. A series was adapted and that’s that. We move on.

But no. We are in a world full of adapting and improving media, and there is nothing wrong with that, although it does get tiresome at times. Beatrix Potter’s “Pigling Bland” says in the cartoon adaptation: “Moderation is a virtue,” to which his brother Alexander responds, “Well, I would agree, if I knew what it meant.” This is the problem our well-loved stories are running into. 

Adapting a story because you feel there is something meaningful to contribute is very different from adapting because it’s easier than taking the trouble to bring something fresh to life. The easily predictable outcome when you adapt a well-loved story becomes nothing more than a cash grab, as one can bank on piquing the interests of fandoms concerned. 

The way I see it, every attempt to revamp a movie again adds some additional pressure: Something new or fresh needs to be present to prevent it from simply being a hollow shell of its previous runs. There is opportunity for growth and branching out on perspectives, but to make a copy of what we already have just feels pointless.

Yes, there’s an element of nostalgia that comes with watching a movie or show with a plot you already know, or are at least familiar with. I love to rewatch shows I enjoy over and over, and I understand the intimidation of trying a new show when it has no comforting armor. But we are now at an extreme where we are constantly bombarded with visual media that is telling us the same stories again and again, while there are so many stories that have yet to be given the spotlight.

Of course, timeless classics have stories that can be used as a springboard for new ideas, and I don’t in any way discourage that, but we don’t need to keep replicating the same narratives in different fonts either. Not only does this weaken the impact of a powerful story (like “Cinderella” (2021) does to its predecessors), but it also makes the original source more and more diluted, especially with weaker or harmful interpretations. 

“Wuthering Heights” has been adapted before, but the new “version” directed by Emerald Fennell is described in its trailer as “inspired by the greatest love story of all time.” 

Well, that’s debatable to say the very least. 

Of course, Fennell acknowledging that the film is merely inspired by the book makes space for allowances, but by keeping the same title, character names and settings, one is still being guided by their understanding of the source material. All that such a film seems to do is push Brontë’s commentary into the background in favor of Fennell’s fantasy, when it could’ve been left well alone.

So, as someone who grew up reading and endlessly discussing Harry Potter with my peers, I fully understand the appeal. But unfortunately, I think we’re past the point where this is a necessary addition to The Wizarding World’s repertoire.

The trailer for the first season, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” was recently released, and while I do think the book series could have used and thrived on a TV series adaptation because of their length, I’m afraid it’s too late. 

The discourse on the films in relation to the book is continuous, and I’m inclined to think that what this series sets up is simply another game of constant comparison. The actors will be compared and chastised for their performances, visual effects and directorial choices will be examined, and to what end in this case? 

We’ve had such a thorough hashing out of this series that I really think it can be laid to rest as far as new media is concerned. There’s certainly plenty to go back to if one wishes to stroll through Hogwarts again.

Zaynab is a senior in LAS.

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