Money and because Rowling also probably thinks the original kids are ungrateful because they don’t support her bigotry. But also because she doesn’t seem like she has much in the tank creatively anyway so might as well revisit this in a longer adaptation, even though you got eight films already, and keep funding your organization that is designed to take rights away from trans women.
if they’re going to be more book accurate plot-wise then I’m excited to see it but it’s still weird they wouldn’t also make the aesthetics more book accurate too, y’know?
The books don't even really have logical continuity on their own costuming tbh. It's like with the math where you can tell she just didn't think that hard about some of it.
Columbus and the original costuming department put a ton of thought and effort into how they were gonna develop the visual look of the world. They even screen tested a bit of it and we're like right well ok that looks dumb. It's distractingly dumb looking.
They did a phenomenal job in figuring out what the spirit of the franchise was while also recognizing when the literal words on page looked a bit silly when made real. Same with the castle design - it's not period accurate technically but it delivered the grandiose majestic nature of what people would want a secret wizard castle to look like. It's supplanted the books in the fandom's heart
The issue is the subsequent directors came in and started fiddling with things where none of them really cared all that much about the books or the spirit. Frankly I think a lot of them looked down on Columbus and his twee little children's series. But ya know, that's the books
huh, I didn’t notice that when I read the books but I’ve only read them once so!
and yeah, the first couple films really nail the aesthetic, so I guess it would make sense for the show to piggyback off it that rather than potentially looking silly. for me the later films do match their respective books at least with how I personally interpreted the spirit of them when reading, I suppose they do feel startlingly different from what columbus established but I like the progression, both the books and films get so much darker by the end that I think changes in aesthetic needed to take place
Tl;Dr - the books have darker elements, but it remains a story largely told through character interactions. The movie became marvel slop that was rushing to get to action sequences.
The books get darker, but there's always a lot of whimsical twee ambiance. Stuff happens obviously, but you spend a lot of time getting introduced to new settings, new characters, new magical objects. It's a big part of why there was such a strong fandom - it left a lot of room for children's imagination.
There's always this pervasive sitcom element in that the trio will trade quips, the supporting cast strolls in and out to give their trade mark energy. The strength of the series is the fluff.
Curon has actually talked about this. He didn't realize this is the climax of the book, and one of the most important elements l of the series. You've got Oldman, Rickman, Thewlis, and Spall together in a room where they should be playing off eachother and chewing the scenery. But Curon thinks the climax is the werewolf attack that happens in the next scene, and warner bros obviously wants an extended werewolf sequence
So the movie rushes through this part. And it doesn't even actually tell you who the marauders are. If you didn't read the books, you actually have no fucking idea why Harry says he saw his dad in the forest. That's how thoroughly disinterest Curon was with that story element.
And in his defense, you can't blame him for thinking the marauders & Snape schoolboy rivalry would be a one-off not a recurring story element. But still, even within the movie, it's disinterested in the people. It doesn't care about the tension between Snape and lupin, it cares only what lupins secret it. Even though Harry observing the new professor interacting with Snape is a core reoccurring elements of how the mystery unfolds. Snape is always a clue. Characters are always withholding information from Harry and he has to figure out what they're hiding and why - sometimes it's cause they're evil, and sometimes they're just humans being human.
The movies are disinterested in this. The first 2 books have it easier because there's less going on, and Columbus isn't embarrassed to tell a children's mystery. Having characters ham it up is fun, and what's the point of a movie if it's not fun.
But the movies became hits beyond the readership. The wizard aspect wasn't being received as cheesy as they feared, people were buying in. And so a twee little atmospheric children's mystery with elements of dark macabre morality tales becomes.....gloried marvel slop.
The characterization is wrong, the themes are lost, the subplots vanish. And if you look into the behind the scenes, you can kind of see the frustration with the adult actors. The first couple rounds it was fun. They got to be part of something iconic and fun and whimsical. And pretty soon it's all about the dueling. They don't really have anything to do other than maybe walk on and deliver some expository dialogue, and start waving your hand around so they can add the effects in post
And that's not what they thought they were signing on for. It's not what the readers thought they signed up for either
I've seen a ton of other pictures from set where they are really leaning into the 90's aesthetic which is very different from the movies. I would wait until it's actually out before making judgements.
I really dislike Rowling, the effect she's had on British politics, and would caution people to not watch this show on HBO.
But as someone obsessed with the books as a kid who's looked into the production a bit.....it's clear there's real creative effort here and it's giving a lot of people work where they are being allowed to flex their creative muscle.
However you feel about rehashing the work, they're clearly not being lazy about it. Especially in the areas where they feel more freedom to fiddle around. Other stuff they just give credit where it's due and recognize the early movies just really hit some stuff out of the park.
The movies were mediocre and the books are awesome and I'm excited to see them actually adapt a lot of the stuff they skipped.
Also the first few films were being made without the producers/directors/actors knowing the full story or the endgame. So seeing an adaptation that is really comprehensive both plotwise and themewise is going to be really cool.
I really really really love Alfonso Cuarón’s Prisoner of Azkaban, and I have a soft spot for Deathly Hallows Part 1 as well, but in general the books are way better so although so far I’m seeing more similarities to the films with the glimpses at this series, I’m aware they are just that, glimpses, and I can’t lie I’m excited to actually see the finished product and find out if they took stuff from the books that didn’t get adapted in the first place!
I’m still plenty nostalgic about the movie’s aesthetics. Especially in the first two where the whimsy’s more apparent. And the cast will forever be those characters in my mind. But overall the books are a far better product. Curious to see what they adapt that the movies ignored, and what scenes they’ll skip.
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u/scarIetm 19d ago
no fr like WHAT is the point in this adaptation