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Harry Potter is entering a new generation. With HBO now on board for a TV series that will span J.K. Rowling's seven-book series over multiple seasons, readers and journalists are speculating how the reboot might vary from the blockbuster but sometimes polarizing Warner Bros. movie franchise. One of the most talked-about topics? Casting characters, particularly Hermione Granger.
Hermione, the group's main heroine, is always depicted as the brain, heart, and backbone of Harry Potter's world. Although the initial films did manage to make her character linger in global pop culture, some of the most critical aspects of the book counterpart's character and growth were diluted or modified on screen. With the longer HBO format and assurance of book fidelity, there is potential to learn about the character in her full density, without the commercial constraints and time constraints that defined her in the original films.
The missing pieces: How the films altered Hermione's character in Harry Potter
As the Harry Potter movies were praised for their acting and world-building, many fans noticed that Hermione's character was overacted at times, often at the expense of others. Certain of Ron's or Harry's lines and scenes, as had been covered in the books, were given to Hermione in the movies. The worst is in The Prisoner of Azkaban, where, according to Mugglenet, Hermione says the immortal line of Ron:
"Headmaster, you’ve got to stop them! They’ve got the wrong man!"
This role reversal changed the story's meaning of Ron and provided another heroic line to Hermione, who did not own it. This was not an exception.
In The Half-Blood Prince, Ron's jealousy of Hermione's tryst is more evident than the development of Hermione as a character, even when she argues with herself in the book. In The Deathly Hallows, Hermione's emotional baggage, courage, and ethical choices are hardly ever spoken of; most of her internal struggle, such as forgetting her parents, is briefly mentioned and not elaborated on.
These character developments made Hermione almost too flawless. She was always smart and courageous, but in the novel, Hermione made mistakes too; she was bossy, too rule-bound, and self-righteous. These were her vulnerabilities that rendered her human. On television, however, she was far too often the voice of reason who spoke in a shallower character.
HBO's Harry Potter series format: A structure that encourages depth
One of the best aspects of the new HBO Harry Potter reboot is its format. In being able to devote a season to each book, the series doesn't have to sacrifice the necessity of the heavy editing that went into the original films. This is a fantastic opportunity to delve into rich character arcs, Hermione's included. HBO's format provides space for scenes cut or omitted previously.
Take, for example, Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W. (The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare) in The Goblet of Fire. While she is teased over and over throughout the novel, this sub-plot enriched her keen conscience, her status as an advocate for justice, and her becoming a political theorist in her own right. It also illustrated her unwillingness to seize unpopular positions, a hallmark of her personality that is not even addressed in the films.
With greater freedom, the series can map out her inner conflict, her fear and loneliness, and times of weakness. It can document her transformation from a rule-bookworm to someone who follows her heart even if that means violating rules for the common good.
A more equally balanced trio: redressing the core dynamic in the HBO Harry Potter series
Rowling's Golden Trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione came as a set. Each of the three had something to bring: Harry's gut and nerve, Ron's brains and devotion, and Hermione's intellect and resolve. On screen, however, everything was too one-way, particularly the intelligence and emotional depth of Ron, missing the cut.
By holding the source material tight, the HBO adaptation can better capitalize on the original dynamics of the group. These now-ritualized moments of Ron's intelligence and courage forced into the limelight, like the life-size chess wizardry of The Philosopher's Stone or deciding to destroy the locket Horcrux in Deathly Hallows, can be done full circle. So can Harry's personal development concerning Hermione and Ron.
Good for the characterization of Hermione, of course, is this. Her intelligence will be all the more concentrated if the people around her are also detailed out with characterization depth. Balanced presentation will make them all distinct from each other, not Hermione herself.
Space to show Hermione's cultural upbringing and background in the HBO Harry Potter series
Another mammoth area where the movies fell short was with Hermione's back story. Being a Muggle-born witch, she was faced with prejudice and institutionalized prejudice within the magical world, a terrible theme throughout the books, particularly in The Chamber of Secrets, The Goblet of Fire, and The Deathly Hallows. Being an outsider was a basis of her philosophy and prompted many of her beliefs, such as a belief in equality.
These fights were downplayed or glossed over on camera. While her resourcefulness was shown, the psychic toll of being talked down to daily or whispered to by peers, teachers, or institutions was never so much as broached. HBO production can delve deeper into these political and social fights and introduce us to more of what motivates Hermione outside of textbooks.
Her Muggle heritage also raises larger questions of privilege, institutionalized violence, and identity. They are in the book, yes, but a serious TV adaptation could foreground them for modern audiences, without deviating from the source novel.
Casting and representation of the HBO Harry Potter series: A new perspective
While the HBO show hasn't gone public with casting, there's growing anticipation as to how the new Hermione would be an even more diverse interpretation. The stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child featured Hermione being played by a Black woman, and that's opened up discussion as to how the character's qualities, intelligence, magical power, and genius are not race-specific.
Although casting news for the show is not yet revealed, HBO's interpretation can redefine Hermione's character to be what will appeal to modern audiences, as long as it is true to her characterization in the books. Representation, if handled with care and fairness, can bring new layers without redefining the very core of who Hermione is.
Above all, though, is that the new series encompasses the full range of Hermione's personality: not only the intellect, but the activist, the best friend, the worrywart planner, and the very autonomous girl who keeps evolving.
HBO Harry Potter's reinterpretation is the Herculean task of adapting one of the literary world's greatest classics thus far. And yet, it is also a unique chance to correct some of the misrepresentations of the past. In Hermione Granger's case, that means giving her permission to be seen rightly in all her wholeness, imperfect, passionate, smart, and brave.
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If the series is faithful to the books, then finally Hermione can be free from the specter of film diminishment. Not by creating her, but by acknowledging both aspects of her: the student, the warrior, the conscience, and above all, the woman behind the brain. By doing this, the HBO Harry Potter series can give us the best, most realistic Hermione Granger yet, and that in itself would be long past due.
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