HBO’s Harry Potter Series Will Officially Include a Key Moment the Movies Missed

For a decade, the Harry Potter film series was a major contributor to Warner Bros.’ success in the early 2000s. Furthermore, the Harry Potter franchise was thriving more than ever with the release of J.K. Rowling’s final novels around the same time as well. In 2011, the Harry Potter film series concluded with the second part of Deathly Hallows, and it felt like the end of an era. However, Warner Bros. didn’t wait too long to return to the Wizarding World franchise, with Rowling on board to write the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to launch an ambitious five-film series. While the Fantastic Beasts franchise got off to a strong start, it was never able to match the generational success of the Harry Potter films, and it ended prematurely after three films.

Warner Bros. is now looking to revive the magic of Harry Potter through an uncharted medium. Instead of expanding the Wizarding World, the Harry Potter franchise will return to its roots with a television adaptation from HBO of the original seven novels. The upcoming Harry Potter series has led to mixed reactions online, with some viewing the reboot as unnecessary. At the same time, longtime book fans see its potential, since there are many moments that the films were unable to include. Filming on the Harry Potter series is well underway, with behind-the-scenes and set photos providing fans with an early look at what to expect and reaffirming why the HBO adaptation is a worthwhile venture.

The First Harry Potter Film Opened Differently From the Book

Dumbledore and McGonagall place Harry on the Dursley’s doorstep in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.Image via Warner Bros.

The first Harry Potter film, directed by Chris Columbus, was one of the most faithful adaptations of the source material, in large part because Sorcerer’s Stone featured a more manageable length. However, there were still moments from the first novel that the 2001 film needed to leave out. For instance, instead of beginning where Rowling did with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the film skipped ahead a little in the first chapter.

Following the iconic Warner Bros. crest, the first Harry Potter film began with the scene on Privet Drive, where a conversation between Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall took place. The two extraordinary wizards discussed the fate of Harry following the death of his parents and the defeat of Voldemort. The now-iconic scene is a strong introduction to the Wizarding World and a tease of Harry’s significance to all witches and wizards. Rubeus Hagrid then shows up riding Sirius Black’s motorbike with baby Harry. The wizards then drop Harry on the doorstep of the Dursleys, his only remaining family, fresh with the lightning bolt scar given to him on the fateful night that occurred a day earlier.

The opening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone film unfolded closely to how it does in the book. The upcoming HBO series will likely feature the moment as well, with Dumbledore using his Deluminator and McGonagall transforming from her cat form in their introduction. However, HBO’s Harry Potter series will need to communicate to viewers from the start that it won’t be a beat-for-beat remake of the films, and following the source material more closely will allow it to easily accomplish this.

HBO’s Harry Potter Series Will Feature Vernon Dudley’s Book Introduction

The Dursley Family holding Harry’s letter from Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 2001Image via Warner Bros.

Harry was sent to the Dursley family after the death of his parents, and in the film, it jumped straight into their time abusing him years after the drop-off. In the opening pages of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it launched readers into the Wizarding World in a slightly different way. The first book in the series opened through the perspective of Vernon Dursley as he encountered unusual magical moments throughout his day. He discovered a cat reading a map, saw people walking around wearing colorful cloaks, and overheard discussions about the Potters and their son, Harry. Vernon did his best to convince himself he was imagining it all, until he ran into Dedalus Diggle during his lunch break, who ecstatically spilled the news to him, despite being a Muggle, about the death of Voldemort.

Recent set photos and videos from the set of the Harry Potter series reveal that this moment will come to life in the HBO adaptation. It’s a small moment, but it demonstrates how closely HBO is following the source material. It’s also a new introduction to the Harry Potter story for those who only have the films as a reference. By opening with Vernon, it’s also a way for audiences to enter the Wizarding World through the Muggle angle, instead of instantly being introduced to powerful wizards in the opening moments.

HBO’s Harry Potter Series May Expand the Story As Well

Harry and Hermione at Lily and James’ grave in Harry Potter.Image via Warner Bros.

In addition to mining the source material for moments that didn’t fit the runtime of the films, the HBO series will also have the opportunity to expand the lore. Some indications that HBO’s Harry Potter series will fill in the gaps from the books lie with its casting. HBO has already confirmed that Lucius Malfoy and Cornelius Fudge will appear in the first season, despite their book introductions occurring a little later in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Moreover, another recent video captured the filming of the Harry Potter series, and it appeared to feature James and Lily Potter, played by yet-to-be-announced actors.

While one video showed Harry’s parents holding hands, another teased more action compared to what the first film showed. The Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone film featured a flashback sequence, where Hagrid revealed to the boy wizard what had happened the night James and Lily died. The film’s flashback sequence consisted of quick shots showing Harry’s parents and a cloaked Voldemort. Something many Harry Potter fans hope to see in the first season is an expanded version of the night Harry received his iconic scar. An action sequence involving the Potters is another way the HBO series could begin, and a glimpse into Voldemort’s deadly magic would be a strong way to establish the main antagonist.

The Harry Potter series only featured James and Lilly through Harry’s minimal encounters with magical devices like the Mirror of Erised and the Resurrection Stone. The HBO series detailing more scenes from the night that changed the Wizarding World forever could create more dimensional characters out of James and Lily. By allowing viewers more time to grow attached to James and Lily, the impact of their deaths will be more profound, as it lingers over Harry throughout his Hogwarts journey.

The Harry Potter films are a masterwork, brilliantly bringing Rowling’s work to life with accomplished performers, stunning production design, and music from the film’s greatest composer. Therefore, when Warner Bros. announced plans to retell the legendary Harry Potter saga, many felt there was no reason to follow the success of the films; however, other fans who had thoroughly explored the original material felt differently. The Harry Potter films captured the spirit of the books, but there were a sizable number of moments that never made it to the screen, especially as the series progressed. HBO’s Harry Potter series will finally have the opportunity to tell a more comprehensive story of the Harry Potter universe and potentially add more depth in the process.

The opportunity to have more time to draw from the book has been a notable motivation for creating the HBO series, in the first place. Of course, the financial benefits are another driving force behind the production, but HBO’s Harry Potter series will need to convince some audience members it’s a story worth experiencing again. Before seeing the official footage, HBO’s Harry Potter series has already shown that audiences are in store for a different vision of the story, which will seemingly align even more closely with Rowling’s work.

Harry Potter set photos have confirmed the series will take place in the ’90s, as the books did, and will include moments the films didn’t cover. Vernon crossing paths with a wizard before taking Harry in is one moment from the books that will quickly set the tone for the reimagining, and it will be the first of many. Since the first Harry Potter film stayed closer to the source material, HBO’s first season won’t appear as radically different as future seasons will. Still, it’s clear from the early days of filming that the HBO series will include more scenes and details from the books, which will go a long way to reassuring viewers that it won’t simply be a rehash of the blockbuster films.