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The streaming platform formerly known as HBOMax has just announced a reboot of the Harry Potter franchise, this time as a “faithful adaptation of the iconic books.” Reactions so far have been largely negative due to J.K. Rowling’s controversies and stance on trans-rights issues. However, while many called for people to boycott the Hogwarts Legacy video game that came out earlier this year, it became the best-selling game for Warner Bros. Games.
The reboot announcement also comes at a time when many people are expressing annoyance and fatigue with reboots and live-action remakes. As HBOMax announced it would be changing its platform name to just Max, it simultaneously released the news about the upcoming series, leaving many fans upset that it’s already pushing out promo for the new show rather than focusing on the several highly-received, original series they offer.
Others are saying that so much of what made the films successful was the cast and the period of time that the films were released during, saying that fans don’t want a reboot and there are several other options the creators could have explored. The last Harry Potter film came out in 2011, making the franchise just over a decade finished. This news comes as Disney announced a live-action remake of Moana, a film that came out in 2016. As the years grow shorter between remakes and reboots, it doesn’t seem to bode well for other beloved franchises and films.
With the news of all the upcoming Star Wars projects recently unveiled, including a new trilogy focused around Rey and the live-action Ahsoka series coming to Disney+, it’s possible that they’ll be the next big franchise to announce a reboot. They’ve found great success with their original streaming content, and even if the most recent trilogy was met with a lackluster response, it’s still done really well and has created a new generation of Star Wars fans.
While Star Wars has continued to do well over the years, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has struggled to move beyond the iconic films. The Fantastic Beasts trilogy suffered from poor writing, a lack of direction, and several controversies, including J.K. Rowling’s actions and the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trials, recasting him for the final film. While rumors floated for a while that the spin-off play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, would be turned into a feature film, there’s been no official confirmation.
Unfortunately, Harry Potter is the latest franchise to fall victim to a reboot announcement, and fans are officially worried about other major franchises like Star Wars soon receiving similar treatment. As Disney shortens the time frame between their own live-action remakes and reboots, it’s possible that it’ll extend to the beloved space franchise soon as well.
What do you think about a Star Wars reboot? Is it needed, or should they just focus on their expanding streaming content? Share your thoughts down below!