5 Fantasy Shows HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Must Learn From (& Their Biggest Takeaways)

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HBO’s new Harry Potter series faces a big challenge, but it can learn from other successful fantasy shows to navigate the difficulties of rebooting a beloved franchise. The original Harry Potter movies are incredibly popular, and the remake needs to both honor what fans already love and offer something fresh. To succeed, the show needs to appeal to longtime fans while also attracting a new audience.

This is a significant challenge, and even if it overcomes the initial obstacles, more will arise. Many fantasy shows are canceled too soon because they’re expensive to produce, and it can be difficult to prove they’re worth the cost. Not every creator understands the fantasy genre, and some aren’t dedicated to staying true to the source material. However, if this remake succeeds, it could become a massive hit, rivaling Game of Thrones. That puts a lot of pressure on HBO to deliver a quality show. Luckily, they can draw inspiration from their own past projects and those from other streaming services.

5) Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Disney’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians offers a valuable lesson for the new Harry Potter reboot. Both shows are based on popular book series from the 2000s, and both follow previous movie adaptations with well-loved actors. The Percy Jackson movies, while featuring good casting, didn’t quite capture the spirit of the books, which made it easier for audiences to embrace the Disney+ series as a fresh start. The Harry Potter films, however, were already very successful, so the reboot will face a bigger challenge in gaining viewers’ acceptance.

As a fan, I think Percy Jackson & the Olympians really nailed the reboot. What I love is they didn’t lean on nostalgia or bring back old actors just for the sake of it – they let the new cast shine. It’s a great lesson for the upcoming Harry Potter remake. They should do what Percy Jackson did and create something fresh, while also making sure the new movies and show feel separate and unique. Plus, a TV format gives them the space to be truly faithful to the books, and Percy Jackson proves that can really work!

4) His Dark Materials

Following the 2007 film adaptation of The Golden Compass, His Dark Materials is a surprisingly good fantasy series that deserves more attention. It successfully translates Philip Pullman’s novels to the screen, and one of its greatest strengths is its broad appeal – it can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Like the Harry Potter books, Pullman’s stories are geared towards younger readers, exploring mature themes while still highlighting the importance of kindness, love, and optimism.

The series His Dark Materials successfully balances complex themes without feeling overly simplistic or talking down to its audience. Harry Potter could benefit from this same approach, aiming for a mature tone that acknowledges the story’s darker elements while still remaining accessible to a broad age range, including older pre-teens and teenagers. In terms of finding the right balance, Harry Potter should take cues from His Dark Materials.

3) Wednesday

Hogwarts is the most famous magical school in fantasy, so the upcoming remake doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel – it can look to the books and previous movies for ideas. However, the new HBO series should also offer its own unique take on the school. If the creators are seeking further inspiration, Netflix’s Wednesday provides a great example. Nevermore Academy, featured in just two seasons, has quickly become a memorable fictional location. Its strong atmosphere could offer valuable ideas for making the new Hogwarts feel like a living, breathing place, rather than just a backdrop for the story.

Beyond just the cool gothic look of Nevermore Academy, the new Harry Potter show could really learn from how the students interact, just like in Wednesday. That show isn’t about teen romance, but it has enough to feel real, and I think that’s perfect for a Harry Potter series too. The books always had those little romantic storylines and friendships with ups and downs for Harry, Ron, and Hermione and everyone else. I don’t want the show to be about that stuff, but sprinkling it in, like Wednesday does, would make it feel so much more authentic and true to the source material.

2) The Rings of Power

Like the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power faces the challenge of adapting a beloved story that already has a strong following and was recently depicted in popular films. Opinions on whether the Prime Video series successfully captures the world of J.R.R. Tolkien are mixed, but many agree that its portrayal of the villain, Sauron, is a highlight. This success is likely due to a combination of Charlie Vickers’ acting and the thoughtful writing of the character.

Sauron in The Rings of Power is portrayed with more depth and complexity than in Peter Jackson’s films, and even compared to Tolkien’s original writings. The show expands on the character, letting audiences see a more nuanced side. Similarly, Voldemort in Harry Potter often feels like a simple villain. The upcoming remake should take a page from The Rings of Power‘s book and explore Voldemort’s motivations more thoroughly, especially since it now has the opportunity to do so.

1) Shadow and Bone

Despite being canceled after two seasons, the Netflix series Shadow and Bone faced criticism, particularly with its second season, mainly because it strayed significantly from the original books. While the show made changes from the start—like introducing the Crows into Alina Starkov’s story earlier than in the novels—these alterations became more noticeable and disruptive in the second season. It felt as though the writers were rushing to include plot points from later books, which frustrated fans hoping for a faithful adaptation and resulted in a story that felt cluttered and overstuffed.

The upcoming Harry Potter TV series could benefit from adapting each book as a single season, similar to the planned approach of the HBO remake. While it might be tempting to rearrange plot points or introduce hints earlier, the show’s writers should stick closely to the original books. Each book largely tells a complete story on its own, and the series should focus on faithfully bringing those individual narratives to life each season.

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2025-12-07 03:41