How HBO's 'Harry Potter' remake will treat adult characters' storylines
A decade-long TV adaptation of JK Rowling's iconic Harry Potter books is underway at HBO. At this juncture, not much is known and it has not been revealed which actors will reprise the roles immortalized by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, among others, in the film series. However, since the series will allow for more cumulative runtime than the films, it's likely to dig deeper into the adult characters rather than only focus on Ron, Harry, and Hermione.
Multiple adult characters' lives remain unexplored in films
The HBO remake should delve deeper into the lives of adult characters like Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and Lily and James Potter. These characters' stories were not thoroughly explored in the original films, since the limitation of the medium meant that more screen time had to be allotted to the central characters. However, Rowling's books contain a gamut of backstories for almost all adult characters, providing meat for the series.
Adult characters: The pillars of Harry's story
The adult characters in the Harry Potter series play a pivotal role in establishing the overarching themes of Harry's "Chosen One" arc. Characters like Lily, Molly, Narcissa Malfoy, James, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, and Dumbledore reflect themes of motherly love and moral ambiguity. Their stories will likely be at the center stage in HBO's reimagining. Lily and James, in particular, remained shrouded in mystery for the film fans but will find more footing in the show.
The past of adult characters will find centerstage
The HBO remake is expected to delve into aspects of the adult characters' pasts that were subtly revealed in the books but not fully explored in the movies. For instance, Molly's two brothers' demise during the First Wizarding War or the family dynamics of Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda Black could be further examined. This exploration will add depth to these characters and their roles within Harry's story. Though the movies remain beloved, they only glossed over several sub-plots.
The pivotal role of adult actors in the remake
Technical reasons also necessitate a focus on adult characters in the TV remake series. As new young actors will likely be unknown initially, it will be up to the adult cast to hold the show together until they get settled in. This strategy was also seen in the original Harry Potter movies which cast legendary actors for adult roles. Some of these were Michael Gambon, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, and Jason Isaacs, among others.
We may also see stories about Voldemort, Peter Pettigrew
In addition to focusing on the characters Harry was surrounded by, the series will also be an exploration of the lives of the other side, i.e. Lord Voldemort, his beginnings (when he was known as Tom Riddle), Peter Pettigrew's backstabbing that cost Lily and James their lives, among other plot points. Explained in detail in the books, they couldn't exactly make the final cinematic cut, so it would be interesting to see how the HBO show tackles these sub-plots.
Will Radcliffe return to the wizarding world?
When asked about his reaction to the upcoming show, Radcliffe recently told E News!, "Like the rest of the world, [I'm] very excited to watch as an audience member." When asked if he would guest star, he said, "I don't think so. I think they very wisely want to [have] a clean break. And I don't know if it would work to have us do anything in it." Meanwhile, revisit the Harry Potter films on JioCinema.
