Summary
HBO’sHarry PotterTV show will have more time to adapt the story than the movies, meaning it can include many of the details that the films omit. This is exciting news for diehardHarry Potterfans, even if there are elements of the original adaptations that will be difficult to let go of. Thanks toHarry Potter’s impressive original cast, finding new actors for the HBO remake will prove one of its biggest challenges. Of course,there are also minor details from the movies that viewers will miss.
Looking back ontheHarry Pottermovies, it’s surprising to see just how many smaller details, moments, and bits of dialogue are now iconic among the fan base. Once easy to overlook, these are pieces of the movie adaptations that give them their charm — and they’ll be difficult to replace in HBO’s remake. TheupcomingHarry PotterTV showhas its work cut out for it when it comes to making scenes and character moments just as memorable as they are in the films. Andthe series should repeat some iconic details as a means of paying homage to the movies.
Harry Potter Reboot Wishlist: 15 Things Fans Demand
Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter TV reboot has the opportunity to right the wrongs of the movie adaptations and even improve upon the book series.
HBO’s Harry Potter TV Show Must Repeat Harry’s Birthday Scene From Sorcerer’s Stone
There’s 1 Key Difference Between The Books & Movies
There are several details from theHarry Pottermovies that HBO’s remake should recapture, andHarry’s birthday scene fromSorcerer’s Stoneis one of them. In both theSorcerer’s Stonebook and movie, Harry learns he’s a wizard on his 12th birthday. After Hagrid knocks down the door of the worn-down hut the Dursleys are hiding in, he acknowledges Harry’s milestone — seemingly the first person to do so — and gives him a birthday cake.
If the HBO show is looking for ways to nod to the movies, Harry’s birthday offers an ideal opportunity to do so.
It’s inevitable thatHarry Potterseason 1 will adapt this moment, as it appears in the source material and the original films. However,theHarry Pottermovies add one detail that isn’t in the books. It’s become so iconic and regularly referenced that it’s automatically associated with this moment, despite its absence from the source material. Harry’s cake looks a bit different on-screen. And if the HBO show is looking for ways to nod to the movies, Harry’s birthday offers an ideal opportunity to do so.
HBO’s Harry Potter Show Should Reuse Harry’s Iconic Misspelled Birthday Cake
This Detail Doesn’t Appear In The Harry Potter Books
Although Harry receives a squished birthday cake in both versions ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,only the movies see Hagrid misspelling the words “happy” and “birthday.“There are valid criticisms to be made about this, as there’s no real reason Hagrid can’t spell basic words correctly. However, despite the questionable characterization, this cake has been largely embraced by the fan base. Many have recreated Harry’s iconic misspelled birthday cake in the wake of the films, and it’s an image that is automatically associated with thisSorcerer’s Stonemoment.
HBO’sHarry Potterreboot should include the same cake as the movies, recapturing everything from the pink and green frosting to the misspelled words. It’s unlikely the remake will find a way to make this earlyHarry Pottermoment more memorable, so it should just lean into the films' approach. Recreating the cake would also be a fun, low-stakes way to reference the original films. It would be a sweet Easter egg for longtime fans of the franchise, and it could be the first of many nods the HBO series makes.
Small Details Like “Happee Birthdae Harry” Can Honor The Movies
There Are Many Other Easter Eggs The Upcoming Remake Can Include
Small details like “Happee Birthdae Harry” are the perfect way for theHarry Pottershow to honor the previous adaptations, as they don’t require knowledge of the movies to work. However,those who are up-to-date on theHarry Potterfranchise will undoubtedly pick up on such Easter eggs. This makes such additions relatively low stakes, as they don’t threaten to alienate newcomers or require massive amounts of knowledge to comprehend. They’d merely be fun inclusions for those familiar with both adaptations.
Including smaller references to the films eliminates the need for bigger, more distracting nods.
Additionally, such Easter eggs will allow the showrunners to acknowledge that they’re following already-iconic adaptations without much effort. Sure, the creators of the HBO series will probably track down actor cameos at some point, as there are many ways the originalHarry Pottercast can step into new adult roles. But including smaller references to the films eliminates the need for bigger, more distracting nods. It’s the ideal way for Warner Bros.‘Harry Potterfranchise to feel connected without merging the two adaptations in a more noticeable way.
Harry Potter
Cast
Harry Potter is HBO’s remake of the iconic Wizarding World film series that consisted of eight films between 2001 and 2011. Each season adapts a book from JK Rowling’s popular series and provides more book-accurate details than the movies did.
