Credit: Inside the MagicWe finally have a proper look at the Harry Potter reboot’s new visual style.
Harry Potter might have its fair share of controversy off-screen or beyond the pages, with JK Rowling stirring more than just a cauldron by getting into rows on X (formerly Twitter) with members of the trans community, but the franchise itself continues to go from strength to strength across all forms of entertainment.
While fans cherish Rowling’s seven iconic books, the eight films are the true anchors of the franchise. After all, they have inspired popular attractions such as Warner Bros. Studio Tours London — The Making of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, with a new area — the Ministry of Magic — heading for Epic Universe.
Meanwhile, a Harry Potter reboot is in development. This time, the franchise is being given the television series treatment, which will feature an entirely new cast, replacing the likes of Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). But it’s not the only Harry Potter reboot that’s being conjured up by Warner Bros.
Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Reboot May Be Canon With the Film Series After All
There are several Harry Potter projects in the works. While it remains to be seen whether the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (2016) will ever get a film adaptation, or whether we’ll ever get the fourth entry in the otherwise seemingly defunct Fantastic Beasts series, it looks like the future of the Wizarding World will reside on the smaller screen.
Warner Bros. has alluded to more television shows beyond the Harry Potter reboot, as well as follow-ups to last year’s chart-topping video game title ““Hogwarts Legacy” (2023), which is already rumored to be getting its own direct sequel first. However, one upcoming project has finally started to draw the line between the new Wizarding World era and the old one.
The Harry Potter Reboot Finally Takes Flight
“Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions” (2024) is an upcoming video game dedicated to the titular Wizarding World sport in its entirety. A modern remake of the 2003 game “Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup,” the new title will put players on their very own broomsticks as their Quidditch careers take flight at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Now, a third trailer for the game has been released, which finally gives us a proper look at the visual style on offer. A rather drastic change from the look of the open-world video game “Hogwarts Legacy,” which boasts a more photorealistic Wizarding World, “Quidditch Champions” looks more traditionally animated, perhaps even cartoon-inspired.
But this is in no way a bad thing. In fact, it captures the color scheme of those first few films incredibly well — particularly, and, of course, more importantly, their Quidditch matches, whose pallets practically pop on screen before things take a drab and somewhat achromatic turn in subsequent films that’s designed to reflect the series’ ever-changing mood and tone.
Understandably, some fans have taken issue with the visual style of “Quidditch Champions” because it doesn’t fit in with “Hogwarts Legacy,” but mostly because they feel cheated by the open-world game for not featuring the iconic Wizarding World sport in the first place. However, as we now know, it’s because Warner Bros. had a separate game planned all along.
Watch the new trailer below, per the official Harry Potter YouTube channel:
Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Sequel May Opt for Post-‘Cursed Child’ Era as One of Many Much-Needed Improvements
“You were captivated by it in the books, then, the movies made you dream of playing,” the trailer’s narrator says, while a hair-raising new score plays (which will hopefully feature in the game). “Now, it’s finally your chance to take flight and play Quidditch for yourself in the video game, ‘Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.'”
“Play as iconic characters like Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, and many more,” the trailer adds. “You can even create your very own original character. Dodge opponents and score goals as a cunning Chaser. Lead your team’s defense as a Keeper. As the intimidating Beater, you control the pace of playing. Or, step into Harry Potter’s role yourself, as your team’s Seeker.”
“From the Weasley family Burrow to the Quidditch World Cup, you’ll complete inside venues you’ve seen in the movies, as well as places you’ve only read about in the books. Your path to become a Quidditch legend has officially begun!”
Related: New ‘Harry Potter’ Installment Set During ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ Gets Teaser and Release Date
Harry Potter TV Series Challenges
It remains to be seen what visual style the Harry Potter television series will adopt. While the upcoming reboot will likely attempt to forge its own identity that’s distinguishable from the films, it’s going to be tricky considering the source material has a very specific vision of the Wizarding World that the eight films already captured so well.
Ultimately, how different can the television series look without failing to be the “faithful adaptation” of the books it’s promised to be?
If the (pre-production) teaser shared by Max last year, which features the same Hogwarts castle and the same John Williams theme from the films, gives us any indication, creating an original look will be a bigger challenge for Warner Bros. than recasting the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson.
But then maybe games like “Quidditch Champions,” which, unlike “Hogwarts Legacy,” takes place during the Harry Potter era, proves that a complete “re-theming” of the franchise is practically impossible, which might explain why Warner Bros. recently said that films “will remain at the core of the franchise” even when the reboot arrives.
When Can I Play “Quidditch Champions”?
Per Warner Bros. Games, “Quidditch Champions” will feature “iconic wizarding world locations, characters, and references that fans will love” while highlighting “the rush of flying across legendary arenas as either a Beater, Chaser, Keeper or Seeker in a variety of modes,” all the while “playing as — or against — iconic characters such as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and many other quintessential characters.”
The game will be released on September 3 for PC Games, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch. You can now pre-order the Standard or Deluxe Edition on Xbox, Steam, and Epic Games Store to earn the “Firebolt Supreme Broom Skin”.
Visit the official website to find out more about “Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.”
When Is the Harry Potter TV Series Coming Out?
The Harry Potter television series is expected to premiere on HBO sometime in 2026, according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
While not much else has been revealed besides the short teaser and some of the creatives involved (including JK Rowling as an executive producer), we know that the series will span seven seasons, each based on one of the books and will feature an entirely new cast.
What do you think of the visual style of “Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions”? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!