I knew that HBO’sHarry Potterremake would make me feel nostalgic, but I didn’t realize just how much. The upcoming series aims to readapt Harry’s story to the screen, this time in the longer format of the TV show. This should allow HBO to capture nearly every detail from J.K. Rowling’sHarry Potterbook series, improving on Warner Bros.' previous movie efforts.
As much as I love theHarry Pottermovies, it’s hard to deny that they left out far too much from the books. The story is superficial by comparison, and, at times, the lack of key information made the films' story downright confusing. HBO has seven full seasons to work with, so theHarry Potterbooks should be brought to the screen as never before.
Of course, theHarry Pottermovies shouldn’t be ignored entirely. HBO will have to depend heavily on nostalgia to keep long-time fans watching, which means we can surely expect some familiar music and scenery in the upcoming TV show. These details will pull at our heartstrings, butthat may not be all that is nostalgic about theHarry Potterremake. Set images suggest that other factors will also contribute.
The Harry Potter Set Images Hint At 1990s Nostalgia
The Dursleys Look Very ’90s In Harry Potter’s BTS Images
Filming for theHarry Potterremake is officially underway, which means we have now been given access to a variety of images from the upcoming series. In addition to official looks at Dominic McLaughlin and Nick Frost’s Harry and Hagrid, respectively, images taken from the set ofHarry Potter(viaDaily Mail) have begun circulating on the internet.
Based on theHarry Potterset images, it appears that one of the first scenes HBO has decided to shoot is Dudley Dursley’s birthday trip to the zoo fromHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. We get a glimpse of Daniel Rigby and Bel Powley’s Vernon and Petunia Dursley, as well as Amson Kitson’s Dudley as they take a family day trip (withMcLaughlin’s Harryin tow).
Kitson’s Dudley is seen wearing a geometrical blue, white, and grey windbreaker tracksuit, while Rigby’s Vernon sports a very ’90s-dad appropriate tucked-in polo with large-framed glasses.
These new actors look fantastic, butsomething worthy of note is just how 1990s-inspired their outfits are. Kitson’s Dudley is seen wearing a geometrical blue, white, and grey windbreaker tracksuit, while Rigby’s Vernon sports a very ’90s-dad appropriate tucked-in polo with large-framed glasses. Then there is Powley’s Petunia, whose blown-out blonde bob fits right in.
Overall, these ’90s details are a significant relief. In canon, Harry gets his Hogwarts letter in 1991, and the costumes forHarry Potterseason 1 align with this.This is a sign that HBO isn’t adjusting the time period of this beloved storyin an effort to be a more modern adaptation. It’s an excellent choice, as theHarry Potterremake can now lean into nostalgia in multiple ways.
Shows Like Stranger Things Prove How Powerful Nostalgia Can Be In TV
HBO Can Lean All In
The originalHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonemovie came out in 2001, a decade after it was set. Though the film itself is something of a time capsule, the setting wasn’t intentionally adjusted to look and feel like 1991. So soon out of this final decade of the millennium, ’90s nostalgia wasn’t so much an issue. However, in the 2020s, this is a very different story.
A shocking amount has changed in the way of technology over the last few decades, which means ’90s kids like me live in a very different world today than the one we were born into. Popular media have capitalized on this fact to great success. Shows likeStranger Things, set in the nostalgic 1980s, are a prime example. Not only does the series evoke a bittersweet sense of longing, butit has also effectively popularized 1980s fashion and technology.
TheHarry Potterremake can potentially achieve something similar toStranger Things, but with the 1990s rather than the 1980s. Though Harry spends most of his time in the Wizarding world, which has its own style and lacks technology, there should still be evident features of the decade. Moreover,a distinct ’90s feel can ideally differentiate between the Muggle world and that of Harry’s magical kin.
A ’90s Setting For Harry Potter May Be Even More Important Than You Think
A Modern Harry Potter Wouldn’t Work The Same
Though my desire for nostalgia is a key reason that I’m happy to see the 1990s influence in theHarry Potterremake, there’s a bit more to it than that. When I first heard about the upcoming TV show,I was concerned that HBO would modernize the setting or leave it ambiguous. This would have been easy to do, since the only decade-specific aspects of the story relate to the Muggle world.
Although the decade doesn’t directly relate to the plot ofHarry Potteron a surface level, it has a subtle impact on the fictional world and its lore. Voldemort’s movement revolves around the secrecy forced on wizards and the slow erasure of “pure” wizarding lines. It’s implied that this will get worse over time, andthe ever-increasingconvenience of Muggle technologyonly accelerates this fact.
The fact that smartphones and the internet have become so advanced has intriguing implications for the 21st-century Wizarding world.
The fact that smartphones and the internet have become so advanced has intriguing implications for the 21st-century Wizarding world. It’s interesting to consider how much the magical community will have begun to adopt Muggle conveniences following the events of Harry’s story. Perhaps futureHarry Potterspinoffs can explore this, but HBO’s TV remake isn’t the time or place. For now, it’s good that the canon setting is being left alone.
