6 Confirmed Changes in the Harry Potter Reboot, Ranked by How Exciting They Are

The new Harry Potter TV series is updating the story from the movies, and even making some changes based on the original books. The show faces a challenge: it needs to stay true to the source material, particularly by including characters and plot points left out of the films, to feel fresh and different. However, it also needs to appeal to fans of the existing Harry Potter movies and capture the same beloved feeling and magic they remember.

Beyond everything else, the new Harry Potter series needs to forge its own identity. It should adapt the books in a fresh way, avoiding a simple repeat of the existing story and establishing a distinct look and feel compared to the films. Thankfully, early glimpses of the show – including set photos, casting announcements, and comments from the creators – already reveal several changes, especially when compared to the movies, and some of these changes are particularly promising.

6) Lucius Malfoy & Cornelius Fudge Appearing Earlier

The growing cast for the new Harry Potter series now includes Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy and Bernie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge. While both actors are well-suited for their roles, it’s interesting to note they were announced even though their characters don’t appear in the first Harry Potter book, *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone*.

Both characters are expected to make brief appearances in Season 1, possibly in a few scenes to show Lucius’ power and hint at the connection between Fudge and Albus Dumbledore. While it’s a positive addition, it’s not a major development overall, but rather a subtle creative choice.

5) Adult Actors Being Younger Than Their Movie Counterparts

The Harry Potter movies generally had excellent casting, but there was a noticeable difference between the ages of the actors and their characters in the books. This was especially true for James and Lily Potter, and their classmates. In the books, Harry’s parents were very young when they died – only 21 – but the actors who played them were much older: Adrian Rawlins and Geraldine Somervile were in their early 40s and 30s respectively when filming began. Similarly, Alan Rickman was 55 in the first movie, while his character, Snape, was supposed to be in his early 30s, and the actors portraying the Marauders were all in their 40s as well.

It’s still unclear exactly how the new adaptation will handle character ages, but the casting of Paapa Essiedu as Snape – at 35, much closer to the character’s age in the books – hints that other characters will be similarly aged. This is significant because making Lily and James, and others in the original Order of the Phoenix, younger emphasizes the tragedy of their fight and eventual deaths.

While it’s not necessarily groundbreaking, the strong cast helps overcome any concerns about age differences. Ultimately, finding the best actors for each role is what matters most. Essiedu is incredibly talented, and the rest of the cast seems promising, but we’ll only know if they truly capture the spirit of the original performances once we see them act.

4) Vernon Dursley’s Day At Work & Wizarding World Celebrations

The upcoming series will show Vernon and Petunia Dursley as they were ten years younger than depicted in the films. But more interestingly, new details are being added to the story. Photos from the set of the *Harry Potter* series reveal a scene where Vernon encounters a wizard in a purple suit early in *The Philosopher’s Stone*, and show more public displays of joy from the wizarding community following Lord Voldemort’s defeat.

This scene, taken from the books, is a delightful and unusual moment where the worlds of wizards and ordinary people actually collide. While it doesn’t have major implications for the overall story, it’s a good sign that the TV series is taking the time to include these smaller details and moments – like the change to Aunt Petunia’s hair color – thanks to its longer episodes. This approach is really promising and shows a commitment to faithfully adapting the source material.

3) Dumbledore Meeting With Nicolas Flamel

New photos from the set of the Harry Potter series show Dumbledore (played by John Lithgow) meeting Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel on a beach. This scene doesn’t appear in either the books or the movie, and its purpose is currently unknown. It’s likely Dumbledore is receiving the Philosopher’s Stone from Flamel and agreeing to protect it, given that filming seems to be focused on the early episodes. However, it could also be a scene from later in the series, where Dumbledore discusses the stone’s eventual destruction.

This is a really interesting development. While the scene itself sounds good, the bigger impact is that the show appears willing to move beyond Harry’s perspective. This could be fantastic for fleshing out the world and other characters. Importantly, it allows the creators to expand on existing hints and ideas from the books, building full scenes around them. This approach has the potential to make the story feel innovative and offer something genuinely new for viewers.

2) Lord Voldemort’s Attack On The Potters Being Shown In Full

The first season of the new Harry Potter series is filming in Godric’s Hollow, a significant location that isn’t fully explored until the later movies. This is to depict the tragic night Lord Voldemort murdered James and Lily Potter, and how his attempt to kill baby Harry failed. Recent set pictures confirm they’re shooting scenes on Halloween, the night of the attack. This supports reports that Voldemort will have a larger role than he did in the original movie and book, thanks to these detailed flashbacks.

This could potentially be how the series begins – a dark and exciting opening that sets up the story without simply copying the movie or book. While similar scenes have appeared before, showing the complete attack and more of what happened that night in Godric’s Hollow could be a standout moment in the first season, especially if followed by a look at Vernon Dursley’s day.

What’s great is the show isn’t afraid to add its own creative spin to the source material. The more it does this in a way that makes sense, the stronger it will be, and the less it will simply feel like a retelling of the movies. If it can make James and Lily’s deaths even more impactful – particularly by casting young actors – and better establish Voldemort as a threat and his link to Harry, that would be fantastic.

1) Peeves, Charlie Weasley & More Missing Characters Being Included

The Harry Potter films had to leave out some characters and story details to fit the books into a movie format, and some of those cuts were more noticeable than others. However, the new TV series has the advantage of much more time, particularly in the first season when adapting the shorter books. This allows it to include many beloved characters who were missing from the films. Not all of them will appear right away, and some won’t be in Season 1, but the list of included characters already features:

Peeves the Poltergeist
Professor Binns (played by Richard Durden)
Charlie Weasley
Ronan the Centaur (reportedly Jake Curran)
Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel (Lambert Wilson and Marthe Keller)

Some characters were missed or underused in the movies, which is a shame. Peeves, for instance, would have added a lot of humor and helped show that Hogwarts has a long history beyond Harry’s time there. Charlie, though appearing later in the series, is a really cool minor character from the books. And while Professor Binns’ lessons are boring for the students, focusing less on them in the show could actually give us a better look at Harry’s everyday life at Hogwarts, something the movies didn’t really show, especially as the series went on.

It’s exciting to see these details! They show the show is committed to staying true to the source material, much more so than the films, while still allowing for some creative changes.

Harry Potter’s remake is expected to release on HBO and HBO Max sometime in 2027.

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2025-10-19 21:41