Unless youve been living in a Chamber of Secrets (with no wi-fi) for the last ten years, youll be aware that the
Harry Potter movies come to a climactic close this week with
Deathly Hallows Part 2. With no books to adapt, there was tearful scenes at last UK premiere as there will be no more screen ventures for the boy wizard and its almost certain that
Daniel Radcliffe,
Emma Watson and
Rupert Grint have waved a fond farewell to the franchise. But nothing is set in stone (not even a Philosophers one!) and with JK Rowling launching
Pottermore in October, the wizarding movie world could be reborn like a beloved phoenix. No, don't just think this is wishful thinking, it's perfectly true. So, forgetting the books for a moment, here are five ways the Potterverse could continue in film:
SPOILER ALERT: ALL HARRY POTTER MOVIES AND BOOKS SPOILED HERE...
05. TAKE TWO!
Might as well dive in at the deep end and get this one out of the way: the entire movie franchise is rebooted. Crazy to think it but already we've had our readers suggest that before the decade is out we will see a full franchise reboot of this series and we suppose anyone who says the early Potter films are flawless deserves time in Azkaban. With Batman
apparently being rebooted before boot #1 has even been tied up, we shouldn't rule this out of the equation and terrifyingly seems like the most likely option over time. Shudder to think but would we really be that surprised in the next few months well hear that Shia LaBeouf is being fitted for a pair of dorky specs, Miley Cyrus is learning to impersonate someone with a brain, and Justin Bieber has dyed his hair orange. Michael Bay helms the project, making Voldemort a transforming robot. The mere thought is enough to make every Potter fan throw on a black robe, grab a silver mask, and declare war on all Muggles. The world descends into anarchy and no movie is made again. Ever! Well of course that won't happen but just like if you had enough monkey's typing away at keyboards, infinity would say a Harry Potter remake is inevitable. Just a matter of when.
04. WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
The story picks up 19 years (or there abouts) after Harrys final battle with Lord Voldemort and in the interim, every major character has had children who are conveniently best friends. Cue seven more films about a team of young sorcerers who are forever living the shadows of their formidable parents, and they make it their mission to show the world what theyre made of. Meanwhile, Harrys scar burns for the first time in nearly two decades.
03. HARRY POTTER: THE ANIMATED SERIES
The franchise is taken back to basics and aimed at young children. Set during Year 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione solve various magical dilemmas in Hogwarts on a weekly basis, in the form of 20 minute animated episodes. Their voices take some getting used to but due to the sagas huge, varied fanbase, the show becomes a hit with the masses. Each week, a guest actor appears, starting with
Ralph Fiennes voicing a sinister dwarf.
02. CROSSOVER!
This one is a little farfetched (scratch that, impossible outside of your own imagination). One huge movie is produced, the plan being to break every box office record going. Set between
The Half-Blood Prince and
Deathly Hallows Part 1, Voldemorts evil forces are at their peak. Unable to defeat them alone, Harry calls on the help
Lord of the Rings Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli;
Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda; and the
X-Mens Wolverine. Together, the super-team do battle with Voldemort, who has recruited the Terminator, the Joker and Darth Vader to his cause. Youtube goes wild with remixes of
The Ultimate Showdown, while the film itself flops in cinemas everywhere and finds itself being sold for £3 in HMV a week later. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WgT9gy4zQA
01. THE VOLDEMORT YEARS
Set three years before the birth of Harry,
The Voldemort Years is a trilogy which shows the Dark Lords initial rise to power. The original Order of the Phoenix is formed and the story focuses on Lilly and James Potter, a young couple trying to make a life for themselves in a broken world. Aimed at 18+ years, the films are darker than any of their predecessors and show just what it took to stop the Dark Lord the first time round. With an endgame set (the assumed demise of Voldemort at the hands of Baby Harry), a sense of bitter inevitability sweeps over the trilogy, which concludes with our two heroes Lilly and James being murdered in a heroic last stand. The final scene merges with The Philosophers Stone and shows baby Harry being left with his aunt and uncle in Little Whinging. Now theres a prequel trilogy I could get on board with! Take
that, George Lucas!
OTHER POSSIBILITIES: The guys behind Potter Puppet Pals score a movie deal and hit the big screen.
Harry Potter: The Musical like Batman and Spider-Man, Potter takes to the stage to the sound of joyous applause. The story continues (or simply gets retold) in comic book form. A new franchise reveals that wizards are actually beings from outer space. Harry and Co. return to save their home planet from the evil Lord Tromedlov.
What have I missed? Any other ideas of how Harry Potter can live on/be flogged to a very painful death?