The good people over at HBO Max are about to take on a challenge unlike any other. Production is already underway on the Harry Potter TV show. It won’t be a continuation of the film series that adapts Harry Potter and the Cursed Child or a new story set in the Wizarding World. No, it’s a full-on reboot, turning back the Time-Turner all the way back to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Taking this direction will present unique opportunities, such as spotlighting characters the movies didn’t have time to flesh out. However, there will also be plenty of potential roadblocks.
The biggest criticism of the reboot so far is that it’s not exploring new territory. All of the Harry Potter books have already been adapted, and most of the movies do more good than harm. In fact, there are at least five Harry Potter movie scenes that the reboot will struggle to beat.
There is Harry Potter before Cedric Diggory’s death, and there is Harry Potter after Cedric Diggory’s death. The tragic moment at the end of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire marks a shift in the franchise’s tone, going from a fun-loving series about magic to a true battle between the forces of good and evil. What makes the death hit extra hard is the reaction from the crowd upon Harry’s return, especially Cedric’s father, Amos Diggory, who can’t control his emotions after seeing his son’s lifeless body.
After getting a new body at the end of Goblet of Fire, Voldemort takes the gloves off in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. His goal is to acquire the prophecy about his defeat that resides in the Ministry of Magic. When Harry and his friends arrive, a battle ensues that ends with Sirius Black’s death. Harry is about to suffer the same fate before Dumbledore shows up and battles the Dark Lord. The fight between the two magical powerhouses is easily the best in the Harry Potter series, showing off what wizards and witches are truly capable of when they master their craft.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban can be hard to follow at times because it features time travel. However, there’s no amount of convoluted plot that can stop Harry using the Patronus Charm to save himself from the Dementors from being awesome. The whole time, he believes his dad is going to show up and save the day, but it quickly becomes clear that his life is in danger. Without any other choice, Harry unleashes his most powerful spell yet and proves to himself that he’s strong.
While it might seem unfair to put two scenes from the same movie on this list, Prisoner of Azkaban is so good that it deserves the honor. Throughout nearly the entire movie, everyone is telling Harry that Sirius Black is out to get him and that he’s responsible for the death of his parents. Well, when Harry and Sirius finally end up in a room together, the truth comes out. Ron Weasley’s rat, Scabbers, is actually Peter Pettigrew in disguise, and Sirius exposes the truth about him. Gary Oldman’s performance takes this scene to another level, and it doesn’t hurt that Alan Rickman and David Thewlis are also present for it.
Speaking of Rickman, Severus Snape is the character the Harry Potter movies do the most justice to. All his nuance makes the leap from screen to page, and nowhere is that more evident than in the scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II when he’s talking with Dumbledore about the titular wizard’s fate. Despite having disdain for Harry’s father, James Potter, Snape’s love for his mother, Lily Potter, is still so strong that she’ll risk everything for her son. The fact that all of this comes to light after Snape’s death makes the moment hit like a ton of bricks. It’s going to be difficult for Paapa Essiedu and Co. to recreate the magic on the small screen.
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