Consider for a moment the hypothetical world where the Harry Potter series was never turned into movies.

In said world, the books are still very successful but for one reason or another they simply are never adapted into movies or anything similar.

The story remains in written form.

How would the fandom be affected? In fact, would the content of the books themselves be slightly (or more) changed?

After all, the first movie was made in 2001 and the last book was published in 2007, surely the possibility of the movies influencing Jo isn't too far fetched.

How would fanfiction be changed? What cliches might develop in the place of the ones currently existing?

Would Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape still have so many fangirls? I personally doubt it, but you never know.

Finally, how does your experience with HP change in this hypothetical? For me, I read the Chamber of Secrets first and then saw the movies later so I would still read the series without a doubt.

EDIT: On second thought, this perhaps should have been posted in FanFic discussion, if the mods think so as well please move it.

 

Nobody would equate Granger with Watson, she'd be an ugly know-it-all and that'd be the end of it.

 

Less abused harry fics

 

Eh, my mental image of Hermione is nothing like Emma Watson but still hot.

 

Yeah I always imagined her with actual tits.

Probably no pixie haircut!Hermione. No calmly yelling Dumbledore. And probably less Snape slash.

 

The community would be a hell of a lot smaller. There would be less of everything.

 

In short, it'd be better.

 

Same here. My mental images of the characters are tied to the books, with a healthy dose of the illustrations heading the chapters in the US hardbacks (not sure if they're in other versions.)

For example, I picture the characters pretty close to this:

Snape

Harry, Ron, Hermione (Harry and Hermione are very close, Ron is a little different in my head - more gangly, scruffy, broad-shouldered) Another version.

Umbridge

Luna

Hagrid

Dumbledore

Dursleys (although I don't know wtf is going on with Petunia in that sketch; the others are close though)

Voldemort (I picture him like this a lot, even though the books don't describe him this way and I know it's wrong.)

Ginny

Lily Potter

Anyway... I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but the movies have very little bearing on how I picture the characters in my head. I did watch them, but it was later, and I read the series many, many times.

To the broader issue:

I think we'd see far less Dumbledore bashing. The way the movies portrayed Dumbledore gave him a certain edge that he really didn't have in the books. He lost a bit of whimsy and grace under fire and gained a bit of Gandalf - who had kind of a temper, when it really came down to it. So you get stuff like this:

http://cdn.slowrobot.com/4212013014012.gif

 

Seconded. My mental images of the characters have changed a lot over the years, but they've never been that close to the films. Dunno if you guys have ever heard of makani who had that Accio Brain page (she's a wicked animation artist) but her illustrations really struck a chord with my initial visualisations. So much so, I can't not picture HP characters outside of her style these days (save from Harry's hair colour and Hermione's being frizzy as Fawkes but I digress)

Accio Brain: Harry Potter Re-Design

Otherwise, I think the fanon perceptions of Harry, Ron and Hermione's characters would be far more balanced. Harry the Blushing Eunuch, Ron the Death Eater, Hermione the Charlie's Angel... all would be significantly less popular. Draco would still have his fans, but they would be cognizant of his douchebaggery at large.

Oh - and the saris/Muggle dresses would likely not be a thing in fics. Chiton-like robes, maybe... but that's just my headcanon.

 

Kingsley looks boss and luna a man

 

Agree, KIngsley looks awesome, Hagrid looks like I imagined, and the quidditch Ginny looks cute, not like that piece of flesh they put in to the movie.

 

I was gonna say... Kingsley and Flitwick both look awesome. Straight to headcanon. Can't say I care much for that Hermione, though.

 

No one would name Hermione's parents Dan and Emma. Might be worth it.

 

Never seen more than the first movie. Today my sister watched Deathly Hallows Part 1 again, and I saw the beginning. When they showed Bill Nighy as Scrimgeour I left. It's just wrong.

 

High budget Miniseries is the best idea. Cartoon is still something they could do well. And all the movies did was make me annoyed by the movies.

 

I don't actually dislike them. Despite their problems, a lot of talent went into them and they're enjoyable enough in their own right. I was planning on re-watching them all at some point, I haven't seen the first three in years and I don't think I've ever seen the fourth in one sitting.

 

They're not that bad, agreed. It's just the fact that they hold so much sway - sometimes more than the books.

One conversation I never would have had happened during my first year of uni, a few months after HBP was released. My flatmate wouldn't stop gushing over Draco and his irresistable vulnerable-ble-ness while he was bleeding on the floor... never mind the fact that he cast the Cruciatus Curse in canon.

 

To me the most annoying was that they left out entire plotlines. And also the annoying scene changes. One movie Hogwarts is on a flat hill and the other on rocky mountain side.

 

Firstly, it would be a significantly smaller community, and in my opinion, a better community for it.

Secondly, perceptions of characters in fanfics would be significantly different. For example, there would be far fewer small minded fangirls drooling over Snape and Draco without the appeal of Alan Rickman and Tom Felton attached to them.