[EDITORIAL: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author only.] In case you live under a rock, HBO|Max just dropped the first teaser for its Harry Potter reboot, set to premier this coming Christmas. You can check it out below. Adapting the book series of the same name, Warner Bros. first introduced us to the wizarding world in 2001. The film series culminated in two parts with The Deathly Hallows from 2010-2011. It was visually stunning, character driven, and by and large beloved by all…. Yet here we are with the stories being re-told, begging the simple question of why?

There are few franchises that sit upon the pillars of Hollywood success the way in which Harry Potter does. Star Wars, definitely. Pirates of Caribbean is another. Can you name others? The list is short. All told, the HP franchise has grossed nearly eight billion dollars. The film series also featured some career-defining portrayals, most notably from the departed Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid and, of course, the eternally beloved, late Alan Rickman’s Snape. So yes, I must ask myself : why try to recapture the magic when it was so nearly perfect to begin with?

Harry Potter returns, because money

Harry Potter
Image: Warner Bros.

It’s not as if the original films are “outdated” and require a more modern telling. Harry Potter is not, for example, Jack Ryan. (Jack’s injury, this time, now occurs during his Marine Corp. service in Afghanistan, and Amazon Prime Video’s storytelling was modernized to take place in the current, geo-political climate.) One of the nice things about the original film series was that it was, effectively, timeless, with very few references to the Muggle (real) world. It stood, and continues to stand on its own as classic, striking, and compelling storytelling.

As we all know, though, money talks. The lure of the almighty dollar is impossible to ignore for a major studio like Warner Bros., which also produced the original film series. But at what cost? There are tons of critics like me who question the need for a Harry Potter retooling when original storytelling has become a dying art (one that, as Sinners showed us, can still prove quite lucrative.) And then there is the inescapable, death-eater-like shroud of creator J.K. Rowling’s staunch, anti-LGBTQ+ politics. One would think that Warner Brothers and HBO|Max would want to steer clear of such controversy.

How impactful will the “Rowling Effect” be?

Harry Potter
Ironically (and sadly), new Harry Potter actor Dominic McLaughlin may have as heavy a burden to bear as his character. (Image: Warner Bros.)

Sadly, though, controversy still sells. The more there’s something to talk about, the more hype there will be, and the more folks will want to see just what all the fuss is all about. Will this iteration of Harry Potter be as successful as the last? Perhaps. Will Warner Bros. reap rewards hand over fist like a niffler in a  jewelry shop regardless? probably. But… will those fans of the original books and film series who are now soured on Rowling tune in?

The Magic 8-Ball says “not likely.”