Harry Potter is probably a bit overdue for the small screen treatment. And with word that HBO Max may be rectifying that situation, it's impossible not to think of the potential for a Harry Potter TV show in the ever-expanding Wizarding World. Which leads us to want to speculate on what story a Harry Potter TV series might tell.
THR shared the report on Monday that meetings are happening with writers to develop a live-action Harry Potter-related TV series. At this point, it doesn't sound like anything is confirmed, but "broad ideas" have reportedly been discussed. This, according to THR's sources, though it sounds like they're only in the discussion-stages of this potential process. No specifics were given about what kind of series it would be, apart from being live-action. Meanwhile, per THR, HBO Max and Warner Bros' statement on the matter says there are no Harry Potter series in development through the studio or streaming platform. So it remains to be seen whether anything more concrete will be announced on this anytime in the near future. In the meantime, we're left to speculate over what a Harry Potter series might look like, should one come to pass at HBO Max.
Here are five Harry Potter-related stories that could work as a TV show at HBO Max.
The Marauders At Hogwarts And The Rise Of Voldemort
Let's start with what feels like one of two obvious suggestions, which would be a TV show that focuses on the Marauders at Hogwarts. A Marauders TV show would presumably be set during the 1970s (if the show were to go by Harry Potter's canonical timeline), and show James Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black during their Hogwarts days, along with Lily Evans, Severus Snape and others. It's a story we've gotten in snippets in the Harry Potter books, but a TV series could flesh it out in interesting ways. We'd have Remus Lupin as a secret werewolf, his friends becoming animagi and creating the secret Hogwarts map, and the development of Lily and James' relationship, which didn't start out so great. Also, Severus Snape as a teenager? Yes, please.
And on the darker side of things, this time period also saw Voldemort on the rise, gathering supporters and building up his power. The series could start during the later years of Marauders at Hogwarts and lead into the formation of the Order of the Phoenix and the wizarding war that was brewing, all building up to the temporary defeat of Voldemort.
A Harry Potter TV Show Based On The Original Books
The other obvious choice would be to re-adapt the original books. 2021 marks ten years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrived in theaters. Is it still too soon to consider giving the original seven Harry Potter books a full re-adaptation? In this case, the series could be explored episodically, re-introducing us to the characters we've come to know and love (or loathe) from J.K. Rowling's series.
As massively successful as the Harry Potter movies were, book fans know there were plenty of bits and pieces of the story that weren't developed (or addressed at all) in the feature adaptations. A Harry Potter TV show would not only allow fans to revisit the story with a new adaptation, but would also have room to take its time and explore some of those missing moments and characters.
Dumbledore As A Student At Hogwarts
Honestly, if it didn't seem very possible, if not likely that the Fantastic Beasts movies were aiming to bring us to the showdown between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, I'd suggest a TV series that explored the later years of that relationship and whatever events transpired leading to Dumbledore defeating his old friend. However, it does seem like that's at least part of what Fantastic Beasts is building toward, so that might not fit into the bigger picture of the Wizarding World franchise.
However, Dumbledore lived a long life, and one part of it that we haven't seen on screen are his days as a Hogwarts student. What did the brilliant wizard get up to during his youthful years? A young Dumbledore TV series could take us back to the 1890s and show us what he was like at Hogwarts, all leading up to the early days of his friendship with Grindelwald and their eventual falling out. Not to mention, the relationships he had with his sister, mother and brother.
A Quidditch TV Show
With all of this talk about existing characters and how they might fit into a Harry Potter TV show, a Quidditch series may seem a bit out in left field, but hear me out. Throughout the Harry Potter movies, we're treated to a handful of great Quidditch scenes as the broom-riding students of Hogwarts faced off and attempted to bring glory to their house. And we got one -- tragically brief -- professional Quidditch scene near the start of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where the players flew out onto the pitch for the start of the Quidditch World Cup only for the film to cut away to the post-game celebrations and the mayhem that followed after. We are long overdue to see Quidditch properly displayed on screen.
J.K. Rowling showcased the magical sport in Quidditch Through The Ages, a historical guide that touches on the development of the sport over the years. I don't think a Quidditch TV series necessarily needs to explore the full history of the sport, but if they're looking to tell a story that's set aside from the characters and stories we already know, this would be an extremely fun angle for a TV show.
A Sequel To Harry Potter And The Cursed Child
When I say Harry Potter and the Cursed Child sequel, I'm more referring to the characters and time period than I am a direct continuation to the story told in the West End production.
In the Harry Potter book timeline, the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -- which primarily follows Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's sons during their first few years at Hogwarts -- takes place between the years of 2017 and 2021, which means, as of 2021, we're once again caught up to the latest events in the canon of the series. With that in mind, it may make sense to explore the children of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco Malfoy during their later years at Hogwarts.
A sequel to Cursed Child could re-introduce Albus Potter, Scorpius Malfoy, Rose Granger-Weasley and the other kids, while also building up a whole new story, perhaps with a new threat. While the events of Cursed Child could be addressed as a recent event -- to catch viewers up on what transpired, for those who haven't seen or read the play -- the future for these kids beyond that story is brimming with possibilities. A new villain could be developed and a whole new story could be told.
A Harry Potter and the Cursed Child sequel would also allow us to keep tabs on what Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Neville, Luna, Ginny and others have been up to, without necessarily making the story be all about them. In fact, I'd probably prefer it if they were only ever supporting characters, stepping in on occasion when the grownups are needed.
As it sounds like it's still far too early to know any further details on what might be in the works, all we can do is speculate about the future of the Harry Potter franchise. In the meantime, do any of these options sound enticing?
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