Andy Greenwald, one of the most recent announced screenwriters of the upcoming TV series «Harry Potter» for HBO Max, expressed doubts about the feasibility of an accurate adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s books.
He said this in The Watch podcast (via ThatParkPlace).
Greenwald, known as the showrunner of the «Into the Woods» series and for his work on FX’s «Legion», admitted that a direct adaptation of Rowling’s novels would likely be successful.
«These books are very rich in detail and quite voluminous, especially the later parts of the series. People adore them. New generations are discovering them every day and falling in love with them,» the screenwriter said.
Nevertheless, Greenwald expressed his personal disinterest in accurately transferring the text to the screen. He admitted that he had not finished all the books in the series:
«If something is advertised as an absolutely accurate adaptation, I probably won’t enjoy it because I haven’t read all the books. I read them to my eldest daughter until she learned to read by herself, and then she beat me to it».
The screenwriter also suggested that other creative approaches within the «Harry Potter» universe are possible, but noted that J.K. Rowling controls the entire process and is unlikely to allow anyone to experiment with her creation. Representatives of Warner Bros. Discovery representatives assure that the «series will be authentic to the original» books.
The series is scheduled to premiere in 2026.