HBO’s Harry Potter remake is set to offer an updated take on the fantasy story, but one of the biggest early criticisms of the TV show could make a pivotal part of the series harder to pull off. The release of the Harry Potter trailer is giving fans an idea of what they can expect from the upcoming series. And although it promises a more faithful and thorough take on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it alludes to some noticeable changes from the movies and books.
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This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it will make the HBO show stand on its own — a necessity if it hopes to get anywhere close to the Harry Potter movies‘ legacy. However, one difference from the films is drawing complaints about an increasingly common TV and film trend. And this criticism could make a pivotal shift halfway through the story more difficult to pull off, assuming the creators don’t address the problem before the remake’s December 2026 release.
The Lighting & Coloring Is a Major Criticism of the Upcoming Harry Potter Show
Following the first footage of the Harry Potter show, one of the biggest criticisms to surface online has to do with the lighting and coloring. Viewers are noting that the backdrop looks dark and flat, an odd choice for a story so rooted in magic — one that could easily lean into a more colorful, unique vibe, especially early in the series. On sites like Reddit and X, fans are highlighting how much better the series would look if it was just a bit brighter. And it’s a complaint that’s been leveraged at numerous modern TV shows and movies, not just this one.
For example, Wicked and Superman drew similar commentary at the trailer stage, with viewers dubbing the visuals desaturated and flat. And those looked better when they finally arrived on-screen, so there’s a chance the Harry Potter show will improve its look before it debuts. It’s important for it to do so, as a greyed-out look doesn’t suit the series. It’ll make one transition harder to convey visually, too, which would hurt the most important tonal shift of the entire story.
The Harry Potter Remake’s Drearier Look Could Make Order of the Phoenix’s Shift Harder to Pull Off
The shift in tone and atmosphere from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to Harry Potter and the Order Phoenix is a pivotal part of the series, driving home how much higher the stakes are after Voldemort’s return — and how much more mature the story gets as Harry nears adulthood. The movies handle this jump from one film to the next well, capturing how dark things get from Order of the Phoenix onward. They do this with the acting and writing, but the visuals really sell it. And the fact that the early Harry Potter movies have more color and vibrancy makes the shift impossible to ignore.
If the Harry Potter TV show starts off with a lack of contrast, it’ll be difficult to replicate this shift on-screen. And that’s one aspect of the films it needs to keep, as it’s a big transition in the source material. The books where Harry is still discovering magic and allowed to be a child should be marked by color, while things should fade as he’s forced to face the darkest parts of the Wizarding World. Hopefully, HBO’s series will address this criticism and spare the later seasons this problem. On the bright side, there’s still plenty of time to deal with the color grading.
The Harry Potter Show Could Still Fix This Issue Before Its Release
It’s very likely the Harry Potter remake will touch up and enhance its look before its December release, so fans shouldn’t worry too heavily about the lack of vibrancy just yet. The series is still in the process of filming, and color grading doesn’t tend to happen until the post-production process. And with so many fans pointing out the issue, it’s likely to be front of mind for the creators. Judging by how much other films and shows change from trailer to debut, we could see a big turnaround. And that would eliminate any fears about the looming shift in Order of the Phoenix, which should capture the look that Season 1’s first trailer does.
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