Pottermania was a thing growing up. From queues for books to waiting for the mailman to bring us a much-overdue letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (my letter was definitely lost in transit, and I blame India Post), it was all a rite of passage.
One of my fondest childhood memories is my father taking time off work to take my sister and I to the first day, first show of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004). In fact, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II (2011) was a family affair.
While there were some who were convinced it promoted Satanism, others saw the beauty of a children’s book series that promoted friendship, bravery, and love. Which is why it saddens so many of us to see the author spew such hatred and yet continue to profit from it decades later.
Apart from Rowling, the series itself does not inspire confidence. Although just a glance has been offered into the HBO production, it looks more like a thriller than a children’s story.
The Netflix lighting, too, is off-putting. You cannot make a show about the 90s without making it look like it belonged to that time period. Can you imagine Back to the Future (1985) with perfect, glossy lighting? Plus, audiences today are more than tired of the muted colours modern creators prefer.
The series, which chronicles the first book of the Harry Potter series, has been scheduled for a Christmas 2026 release. And while it does seem to offer insight into Harry’s experience at a Muggle school, it does not ignite a flame of nostalgia in the older generation that witnessed those denim-on-denim fashions and a pre-social media climate.
While the acting and character choices seem interesting, the series itself simply does not feel magical enough; there is no whimsy. Hashtag not my Harry Potter.
One YouTube comment perfectly sums up how it feels to watch the trailer: “It feels like seeing new people living in your old home.”
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
