Harry Potter Remake is Due: It's Time We Make That Fantasy World Our Own, Not JK Rowling's
The Harry Potter films have been a beloved part of our lives for more than 20 years, and it seems that a reboot may be in the works.
However you feel about the idea of remaking the movies (personally, I think it's stupid), it's time for fans to make one thing very clear: JK Rowling needs to GTFO.
Go swim in your pool of money, JK. You made a beautiful world, and we'd like to play in it without you messing up the canon, writing terrible screenplay dialogue, or making transphobic comments.
For millions of people, Harry Potter was a source of inspiration and strength growing up. Many fans have said that the story of a child growing up "different" resonated with their journeys to self-acceptance as queer people. That made it a particularly rough punch in the gut when Rowling outed herself as a TERF.
"But she's a genius!" you may be saying, and sorry, but… past Deathly Hallows, has Rowling done ANYTHING with Harry Potter that hasn't made the whole thing worse?
The Fantastic Beasts scripts were awful. Ditto approved by her Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (approved by her). Ditto all of her off-putting additions to Hogwarts canon, like when she decided to tell everyone:
"Before adopting Muggle plumbing methods in the eighteenth century, witches and wizards simply relieved themselves wherever they stood, and vanished the evidence."
Thanks… I hate it.
Rowling's time as the creative force behind the Harry Potter universe is over. Her unfunny attempts at humor and her attraction to controversy have done nothing but damage to the franchise. Her ignorant political views have harmed her most vulnerable fans. The Harry Potter world has expanded far beyond the normal bounds of fiction, and at this point it belongs to the fans, not to Rowling.
The remake of Harry Potter should be an opportunity to bring fresh talent and new perspectives to the franchise. There are countless talented writers and filmmakers who could breathe new life into the magical world of Hogwarts while still respecting the spirit that captured so many people's imaginations in the first place (hint: we weren't looking for details on magical schoolkids pooping in the hallway).
The movie rights to the Harry Potter franchise belong to Warner Brothers, not Rowling. She can continue to collect her royalties and stay away from this project. The fans have been waiting for a remake for a long time, and it's time to give them what they want… without any involvement from the author.