The Harry Potter TV show is officially happening, with HBO announcing plans for a seven season project over the span of ten years. As such, the series will be able to include more than the movies ever could, for better or for worse! So what are some key elements that we hope make the TV show?
Fred and George's shenanigans are given the attention they deserve
Fred and George are easily the funniest characters in the books, but they don't get the attention they deserve in the movies. In the novels, the pair enjoy teasing their mother, breaking Hogwarts school rules and – on occasion – rising to the occasion to help out Ron, Hermione and Harry. As such, we hope Gred and Forge get the attention they deserve with a series that will spend plenty of time on their shenanigans.
Ginny's entire character arc sticks to the books
If there's something most Harry Potter book fans can agree on, it's that the movies didn't do the youngest Weasley sibling any justice. While Ginny in the books is confident, sassy and has a penchant for a good bat bogey hex, the movie version isn't given the time or attention she deserved. With the new TV series, we would love to see the version of Ginny who casually tells her classmate that Harry has a dragon tattoo on his chest, sends Harry singing Valentine's cards and goes mad at Ron after he catches her snogging Dean Thomas.
Age accurate casting
As much as we adored David Thewlis, Alan Rickman and Gary Oldman as Remus Lupin, Severus Snape and Sirius Black respectively, they were cast much older than their characters' ages in the books. In the novels, James and Lily were 21 when they died, and since they were all in the same year at school, Lupin, Snape and Sirius would be around the age of 32 by the beginning of the series. Has anyone checked what Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield are up to for the next ten years?
Winky the House Elf's story is told properly
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie was arguably a big departure from the book, as it omitted a key character – Winky the House Elf – and her role in helping Barty Crouch Jr escape prison, after which he is integral in helping Voldemort return to power. When this was omitted from the films, it made Goblet of Fire all the more confusing as it tried to explain who Barty was and how he'd escaped Azkaban - so bring back Winky!
The Horcruxes are explored in full
In the books, there was more foreshadowing about the Horcruxes that the movies understandably may not have had time to include. For instance, Harry and the Order all handle the Slytherin locket without realising, only for Harry to recall that they had been in possession of it later. He also accidentally encountered the diadem while in the Room of Requirement, calling it a "tarnished tiara" that he uses to hide his potions book. Then there is the flashback of how Voldemort managed to get his hands on Helga Hufflepuff's cup.
Harry and Voldemort's showdown is done properly
For whatever reason, the final movie saw Harry and Voldemort battle it out together in the grounds of Hogwarts alone, before Harry defeats Voldemort who floats away like confetti. In the books, however, the fighters at the Battle of Hogwarts gather to watch proceedings as Harry explains how everyone there was protected because he intended to sacrifice himself, throwing back to how he managed to survive Voldemort as his mother died to protect him.
The 'Neville could have been the Chosen One' subplot is explored
Neville 'almost' being the Chosen One as a baby who fit Trelawney's prophecy was omitted from the movies. As was his heartbreaking visits to St Mungos to see his parents who were tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange.
Harry's angst phase
The Order of the Phoenix was definitely a grumpy time in Harry's life, as it would with anyone who found out that they had 1. Kill the world's most powerful wizard 2. Lost a godfather/father figure 3. Wasn't made a school prefect. In the books, Harry loses his temper on more than one occasion, most notably smashing up Dumbledore's office.
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The Gaunt family drama
In The Half Blood Prince, we learn a lot about Voldemort's origins, which the movies weren't able to explore. As such, we were not introduced to his grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, and his pure-blood fanatical family. The flashbacks also reveal how Voldemort managed to find Slytherin's ring which eventually becomes a horcrux.
Rita Skeeter's scoops
In The Goblet of Fire, Rita Skeeter is a true villain by regularly exposing Harry, Hermione and even Hagrid with slanderous stories in the Daily Prophet, including telling the world that Hagrid was part giant. Hermione then discovers Rita is an unregistered Animagus and essentially blackmails her to leave them all alone – and we were robbed from seeing it played out on screen last time!
Marauders flashbacks
Knowing as much as we do in the books about Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot and Prongs, it is a shame that the friendships of James Potter and his friends aren't properly explored in the movies. While we might not be getting a Marauders prequel any time soon, we'd love it if it went into more detail about their time at the school. Of course, we have the perfect actors in mind too. The internet has already fan cast Ben Barnes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Andrew Garfield and Evan Peters as Sirius, James, Remus and Peter respectively - so can someone check if they're free?
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