What do we think?

Overall it looks good. I like that the adults are being depicted as closer to their book ages. And generally the inclusion of more book scenes.

If people were hoping for significant amounts of original content to flesh it out, there doesn't seem to be much of that.

 

Dumbledore with a tuning fork seems to be a new scene not in the books?

 

In my opinion they really should lean into an ensemble aspect of this for the series to work. Make teachers and other students as important, with their own adventures each season, if smaller, since the Trio will always be the most important. That way it can be something new and amazing. Otherwise, it will be just longer movies with a smaller budget.

 

The budget is actually bigger. USD 1.2 billion per season.

 

There is no way it should cost that much per season, unless someone is really bad with its management. The Rings of Power costs half of that and it doesn't have any real world scenes or a singular location to keep it down.

Still, I was expecting them to be a lot cheaper after they cut budgets for their HotD series. I suppose they really can't afford it to fail.

 

Knowing Dumbledore that's probably a desonificator, every wizarding teacher needs them, and muggle teachers would kill for owning one.

 

Sad that Dumbledore doesn't have the full pointy hat. If there's any person who wouldn't go more modern with the wardrobe it would be him. Oh well.

 

The budget includes the cost of building permanent sets in what has been described as a “mini city”. Which will be turned into a tourist attraction once filming is done.

 

Honestly, it looks really promising. I'm trying hard not to get excited by it. You can tell that they're making a big effort. I'm stunned it's Xmas this year, that's insane.

Might take a bit to get used to new actors for the characters - we've had decades of others play that role. But I'm buzzing having seen that.

 

I don't think I'll watch it. There's something very uncanny valley about the whole thing, and the tone (just judging by the trailer) seems to be very grim. I'm not fully against remakes in principle, when they're warranted (see Dune or Percy Jackson), but in my opinion, the corpse of the films isn't even cold, and they didn't really lack much. If anything, I think you could criticise them for being too faithful. It all just feels very cynical.

 

If you think a remake 25 years later is cynical, I shudder to ask what you think about live action Moana.

I'm looking forward to the show. The trailer looks very good.

 

I don't think much of the disney live action remakes in general, but I'm not sure that I've even seen Moana.

It has also only been 15 years since DH part 2 came out, and it isn't like there have been no film or book additions to the franchise since then.

 

slides in

*the live action jungle book was just a half step down from the OG cartoon movie jungle book*

 

I’m irrationally excited.

 

So yeah. Lithgow's Dumbledore looks mid af and Snape is legitimately a miss. They did not even bother to ugly/greaseify him. WB absolutely desperate for another wave of rabid Snapewives (which I very much doubt will happen because late Gen z and early Gen alpha give absolutely zero fucks about HP).

I also hate how fucking dark everything is. Where is the color and whimsy and magic? Why is the contrast so bad?

Aside from that, it looks pretty okay.

 

I was referring to time. Drachna thinks a 25 year old movie is still fresh. Animated Moana was released in 2016. Live action remake is set for a July 10th 2026 premiere. Hell, Deathly Hallows Part 2 is 15 years old. Hardly a "new" movie.

Btw there appears to be a tree just growing inside the castle in the shot of the students walking towards McGonagall. That's a detail that fits the HP world perfectly. Very nice touch there.

 

15 or 25 years is still pretty fresh imo, especially for a beloved, successful and critically well recieved adaptation. I'm all for experimentation into different mediums, but I dislike remakes in general, with a few exceptions. HBO and JKR should use their billion dollar budget per season to make something new, to focus on another time period and a new set of characters. We've had the live action quasi prequel, so why not a (non cursed child compliant) sequel or spin off?

One good thing that might come of it is a resurgance in speculative fanfiction for fans of the show who haven't read the books or watched the movies. There was some of this in the Wheel of Time fandom, and HP has a much wider appeal.

 

I just can't look at a Black Snape and I can't take him seriously. Everything is going to be colored with racism now. Why was James and Sirius picking on him? Racism. Why don't students like him? Racism. Why doesn't Dumbledore let Snape have the DADA position, Racism. Why is the one black adult the one that gets killed at the end of the story? Racism. That's all I'm going to be thinking whenever I see him. Snape is the absolute worst character to race-change. All the 'Dark' Arts memes are going to be insane. I'd accept a Black Albus, Black McGonagall, Black Flitwick, A ginger-hair and white freckled black Ron, before I'd change Snape. Actually, I kind of want a red haired, white freckled black Ron now... and a black Ginny too. But none of the other Weasley children can be black.

 

I'm not... that interested in this in general. But, it does look quite stunning. I like the darker look tbh. The castle looked absolutely fantastic.

I wonder how much time they're going to spend at the Dursleys, hopefully not a full episode.

 

There definitely seems to be a blue hue over the show compared to the movies, which were bright and colorful in the first two movies.

Not a fan of the casting for Hagrid. His voice is too thin. He sounds like a nerd cosplaying. Robbie Coltrane was perfectly cast. Personally, I would’ve cast someone like Mark Addy, who played Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones.

Not a fan of the Snape casting either. Guy is way too good looking. They didn’t even make an attempt to ugly him up. Also, are they saying braided hair is supposed to represent bad greasy hair? If I was black I’d feel a certain way about that. Should’ve at least given him nasty dirty dreads.

Also, calling it now: In order to head off accusations that the Marauders were racist they will make either Sirius or Remus black. It’ll likely be Sirius because then he’d truly become Sirius Black.

Withholding judgement on Lithgow for now. I’m worried about his age. Saw an article we aren’t getting a season every year now, which means the show could go into Lithgows mid 90s.