Harry Potter reboot officially a go at HBO Max despite fan backlash

New York, New York - Accio...reboot? The rumored Harry Potter TV reboot has officially been ordered by HBO Max, and the news isn't going over too well with fans of the beloved franchise.

A TV reboot of Harry Potter has officially been ordered by Max.
A TV reboot of Harry Potter has officially been ordered by Max.  © IMAGO / Cinema Publishers Collection

Potterheads, brace yourselves.

Amid a flood of announcements coming out of Max (formerly HBO Max) on Wednesday, the streaming service confirmed that a Harry Potter reboot TV show is officially a go.

The new adaptation is planned to be a "decade-long series," with each season focusing on a single installment in the book saga.

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The creative team hopes to include details from the source material that were disregarded by the movies, largely due to the shorter runtimes the medium affords.

Author J.K. Rowling is on board as an executive producer for the series.

"Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series," Rowling said, per Variety.

The new reboot has been branded a "faithful adaptation" of the iconic fantasy books, but many die-hard fans are far from pleased by the news.

Harry Potter TV reboot sparks outrage among fans

The original cast members of the Harry Potter films will not return for the TV reboot.
The original cast members of the Harry Potter films will not return for the TV reboot.  © IMAGO / Picturelux

The biggest complaint many Wizarding World fans have is that the TV adaptation is simply unnecessary.

With the teaser using the movies' iconic score and title card style, it's pretty challenging to see the new iteration as anything truly innovative.

The final film only hit theaters a little just over a decade ago, so it's not exactly the time to give the franchise a fresh start.

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Not to mention, Max's ability to cash in on the Harry Potter IP could have allowed them to explore the magical universe in a way that hasn't been done yet (Marauders-era prequel, anyone?), but they've opted to instead retell the same tales, much to fan dismay.

"I guess I never thought of the original Harry Potter films as a radical departure from the source material," one fan said.

And unfortunately for fans of the beloved film franchise, none of the original actors will reprise their roles for the TV version.

J.K. Rowling's involvement in the Harry Potter TV reboot sparks further debate

Of course, it's impossible to ignore the lingering controversy surrounding Rowling in any discussion of Harry Potter today, and her close involvement with the project isn't likely to be well-received by many fans of the franchise.

During the announcement, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys side-stepped a question about the ongoing backlash against Rowling's anti-trans rhetoric, which led some to boycott the recent Harry Potter video game, Hogwarts Legacy.

"That's a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we're going to get into," Bloys said, adding that Max is solely focused on "what's on the screen."

Cover photo: IMAGO / Cinema Publishers Collection

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