You know, I wonder if movies never existed we instead got more HP books?

A sort of Harry Potter Expanded Universe.

 

On the back of the 98-99ish release of the Philosophers Stone, there is a line that reads something like "First of an eight book series."

As far as I'm aware the original plot was meant to follow 7 years of Hogwarts, plus one "post-Hogwarts" book. I'm guessing the offshoots/additional books outside of the original series was merely JKR realising how stupid it was to rinse her hands of such an enormous cash-cow.

 

I can't undo the fact that Emma Watson is the Hermione role for me and the same is true for many of the actors. It was just something that I got very used to as a kid/young adult when I read/re-read the books. Though I picture Dumbledore as Ian McKellen's Gandalf, however good a job Harris did with the role.

We would probably see quite a bit less of everything in general if the movies hadn't been made, though I think I can reasonably say a lot of what would be missing is the chaff that tends to pollute the fandom. I can't honestly say who among you only read the books after the movies, but as you are all obviously avid readers, I think many of the better writers in the fandom would probably still be here.

As for the books, I think Rowling may have gone to eight books or a more expanded universe. She had a money tree in the books themselves, but the whole thing literally exploded with the movies.

As gbbz said, if they hadn't been made, I think they should be made asap, especially with the more modern quality of special effects that has become prevalent in the last five years. Additionally they really should have stuck with the first director. Maybe we wouldn't have gotten a Voldemort that made me want to chuckle at him.

 

What's with moustachioed Lupin? I don't think the books ever described him as having a moustache.