Posted in: HBO, Opinion, streaming, TV, TV | Tagged: fantastic beasts, harry potter, hbo max, opinion, series, streaming

The Spell to Cure Those Harry Potter Woes? Streaming-o Series-onum!

Okay, a couple of things to get out of the way before we make our pitch. First, this is in no way, shape, or form meant as a disrespect to Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, the rest of the cast, the directors, producers, production crew, and fans of the original eight-film series. We're big fans, and HBO Max's Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special gave us a whole new appreciation for what went into adapting J.K. Rowling's novels. And speaking of Rowling, that's the second thing we wanted to get to because there's no way to move further with a pitch without addressing the 500 lb. dragon in the room. We're in no position to tell people how they should or should not feel when it comes to separating or not separating an artist from their work- in this case, separating Rowling's past comments regarding trans women from the "Harry Potter" universe she helped create. Strictly from our perspective, we view "Harry Potter" the same way we do "Buffy" with Joss Whedon: the magic that was created and that's loved by millions is the result of so many other shareholders than just them so the art transcends their all-too-mortal failings. So as much as it loathes us to ever want to make them an extra dime, we have to take into consideration who these characters are and what they mean to so many.

So with that in mind, it's safe to say that things aren't looking so well this weekend for the David Yates-directed Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore even with better critical reviews than the previous chapter. How bad are things looking? Well, let's just say that it's on target to have the lowest debut of any film in the franchise. Or as Variety put it, "The third 'Fantastic Beasts' earned $20.1 million on Friday and Thursday night previews from 4,753 North American locations, which marks the lowest opening-day figure for a 'Potter'-adjacent film. Industry analysts project a three-day opening in the neighborhood of $40 million, with some opportunity for upside." And then there are those rumblings that a green light for the remaining two films is being held until the dust settles box office-wise on this one. So yeah, that's not good. Clearly, Rowling's mess is definitely a contributing factor, as well as the film series losing sight in the second film of what worked so well in the first one. But if you're Warner Bros. Discovery and you're looking to plug the holes in a slow-sinking franchise ship (and you can't find a way to kick Rowling off of social media), you need to spend more time fixing those holes than figuring out how they even got there.

HBO Max Originals Presents… "The 'Harry Potter' Universe!": If you want to save the franchise, you need to go back to the beginning and you need to go streaming. We know some folks out there believe that adapting Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the way to go but considering there isn't a general fan consensus on just how well-liked it is that would be a helluva gamble. No, you have to go back to the core seven books and give them a deep-dive HBO Max streaming series adaptation- we're thinking maybe a season per book (depending on episode count and the need for some books to need more or less time). Even if you're a diehard fan of the films, we know that there are backstories on various supporting characters (for example) that you would've loved to see get some on-screen attention. With streaming, you have more time to tell the tales as they should be told.

And then there's all the positive buzz you can get from the casting. Harry, Hermione & Ron should definitely be unknowns who were cast from a worldwide audition search. And just like they did with the films, you surround them with known names & veteran actors that would fuel weeks upon weeks of social media casting debates. Directors and writers should be empowered to personalize the look of each season/chapter (much like what Alfonso Cuarón did with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). Once you've been able to re-establish the franchise's magic, then you can start looking at adapting "Cursed Child" and (if you want to go the route Marvel Studios did with the MCU) spinoff & limited series opportunities. Because who wouldn't want to watch, Neville Longbottom: Agent of H.O.G.W.A.R.T.S.? Okay, we're kidding with that one but not the idea of spinoffs overall. But for this to work, we would need two things. First, as many of the actors and creative team from the films offering their support for the streaming series as possible is a game-changer. The more interviews out there of Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson wishing the new cast the best, offering them advice & saying that they like what they're seeing of the production can go a long way. And for that other thing… we really can't kick Rowling off of social media? Asking for a ("Harry Potter") friend…

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