3
Credit: Warner Bros.A viral video has revealed an alleged Disney remake of the Harry Potter franchise, now available on Disney+.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has heavily impacted the lives of fans for over 20 years since the premiere of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 2001 — a quarter century if you’re counting since the American release of the first book in 1998, breaking records for a children’s book by an author unknown at the time.
The franchise has since inspired eight movies, seven books, a theatrical play (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), two prequel franchises, multiple traveling experiences — some of which have received harsh criticism deeming them “just a waste of money” — and even several immersive lands at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort, and Universal theme parks around the world — with Universal Studios Japan taking a massive leap ahead of its international counterparts.
Unfortunately, the Harry Potter franchise recently faced a concerning blow after allegedly becoming the latest target of “woke” cancel culture following the ongoing controversy surrounding British author J.K. Rowling’s homophobic and transphobic statements and the latest installments in Rowling’s Wizarding World.
Regardless of the ongoing polemic surrounding British author J.K. Rowling and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced that a Harry Potter reboot was in development for HBO’s streaming service, Max.
The reboot caused polarized opinions online, but Rowling stated that the series would have a commitment to preserving the integrity of her books and added she was “looking forward to being part of this new adaptation, which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.”
While not much information has been confirmed, Rowling’s direct involvement in the new series could stir more than cauldrons and cause backlash to the upcoming project, given her controversial opinions and firm transphobic stance.
However, it would appear that Max is not the only one looking to reboot the Harry Potter franchise, as a viral video revealed that a Disney and Pixar remake of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is allegedly available on Disney+.
With over 7 million views on TikTok, a viral video posted by @tony.aube shocked viewers by playing the animated trailer of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, remade by Disney and Pixar and apparently available on Disney+, The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, in the Pixar section of the platform.
The trailer featured the signature art and animation style of Pixar Animation Studios and showcased some of the most iconic locations and lines in the first installment of the Harry Potter franchise, including Privet Drive, Diagon Alley, Ollivander’s, Hogwarts, and Robbie Coltrane’s iconic line, “Yer a wizard, Harry.”
Multiple voices could be heard reacting to the trailer in the original video, expressing their surprise and saying the remake had not been announced anywhere. “This is crazy! This is so cool!” the voices repeated as they watched the ambitious crossover of Disney, Pixar, Warner Bros, and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise.
You can see the video below or click here to watch it.
who else is watching this tonight? #harrypotter #pixar #dramione
@tony.aube who else is watching this tonight? #harrypotter #pixar #dramione
While the ambitious crossover would delight fans of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Disney fans alike, the trailer is undoubtedly fake. The video is the result of a lot of visual effects work to simulate the home screen and user interface of Disney’s streaming service, adding the fantastic trailer, most likely generated using artificial intelligence due to its inconsistent art style.
Given the intricate work involved in bringing this viral video to life, it’s no surprise to learn that the TikTok user is a designer, former developer of Google AI, and expert user of artificial intelligence, even sharing his knowledge with netizens through tutorials posted in his TikTok account. One might even say the AI expert is a (digital) wizard.
While @tony.aube surely posted this video with a humorous purpose, the dangers of artificial intelligence have been proven once again, as the viral video poses a threat to multiple trademark and copyright laws against The Walt Disney Company, Pixar Animation Studios, Warner Bros., and J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter empire.
Recently, The Walt Disney Company took brutal action against an AI image generator, forcing Microsoft to assume full responsibility for any trademark and copyright infringement after a viral trend parodied logos and art styles characteristic of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought a series of problems for The Walt Disney Company, with the company facing significant backlash over the alleged “hidden” use of AI in the latest installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) presented as Disney+ original series — Loki (2021-2023) and Secret Invasion (2023) — as well as the not-so-hidden use of artificial intelligence in the Disney+ original movie, Prom Pact (2023), which horrified viewers with the imagery used in the original film and concerned experts over the possibility of AI replacing actors in the future.
What do you think about the use of artificial intelligence to create this kind of video? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments below!