Is the new Harry Potter TV series good or bad news for the LEGO theme?

A new Harry Potter streaming series is coming, adapting all seven books once again – but does more Harry Potter necessarily mean more LEGO?

Hot off the heels of announcing the shift from HBO Max to simply ‘Max’, Warner Bros. Discovery dropped the bombshell news of a new TV adaptation of the Harry Potter book series. According to HBO & HBO Max Content CEO Casey Bloys, the series will stream on Max and run for 10 consecutive years, and is described as a faithful adaptation with one book per season.

Unlike the recent Harry Potter video game Hogwarts Legacy, which had no connection to J.K. Rowling beyond the IP itself and stayed purposefully away from the author and her recent controversies, this new series is going all-in on Rowling. Rowling is serving as an executive producer on the show, and both Bloys and Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav have spoken in direct support of the author. When reporters have asked Bloys about Rowling’s continued anti-transgender statements, he deflects, calling it ‘a very online conversation’.

What does all this mean for LEGO? The LEGO Harry Potter theme, as it stands, can be compared to LEGO Star Wars in a lot of ways. Star Wars has essentially three types of sets: spaceships, playsets/battle packs, and large adult display models. Harry Potter is similar: Hogwarts castle sections, other buildings, and large adult display models. Both themes often feature remakes of existing sets, whether it be a TIE Fighter for Star Wars or the Hogwarts Express for Harry Potter. The key difference is that Star Wars has endured consistently since 1999, while the Harry Potter line has ended twice.

What makes the LEGO Harry Potter theme not as consistent as Star Wars? One could argue that the sets become repetitive and the theme relies on too many of the same moments represented over and over again. But if that were really the case, wouldn’t LEGO Star Wars have the same problem? It seems that LEGO Harry Potter starts to lose steam not because of the sets themselves, but due to the public zeitgeist. 

Both times LEGO Harry Potter has been brought back, it’s been due to Harry Potter as a franchise re-entering the front of the public’s consciousness. In 2010, the final movies were released. In 2018, the Fantastic Beasts spin-off franchise was in full swing. The 2010 revival ended almost as soon as it started, and the current version of LEGO Harry Potter is reaching a point where nearly all upcoming sets are remakes.

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So, in one sense, the upcoming Harry Potter streaming series could be great news for the theme. If it’s truly meant to span a full decade, then that’s ten years worth of LEGO sets that could consistently be made based off of the show – and there’s less risk of the franchise fading out of popularity. LEGO Harry Potter could become a core LEGO theme that never leaves (for the foreseeable future, at least).

That said, if the official announcement video is anything to go on, this new show won’t stray too far from what we’ve already seen. The use of John Williams’ existing film score, the exact same logo, and Hogwarts imagery ripped straight from the movies suggests that this series won’t deviate from the existing films much – which could lead to LEGO sets that are essentially the same as existing sets aesthetically.

Plus, if the show is truly re-adapting what we’ve already seen, the sets will mostly end up being remakes anyway. The impact the show has on the theme could be nothing more than an excuse to keep making sets.

On the other hand, though, the LEGO Group has not been shy about its support for the LGBTQ+ community. Sets like 40516 Everyone is Awesome have proven that the company is willing to bring its support to its products. A recent viral Twitter video shows LEGO store employees fighting back against a customer enraged by their pride pins. Diversity and inclusion are not things the LEGO Group takes lightly, so Rowling’s continued involvement in the Harry Potter franchise may eventually become a problem.

Either way, it may be a while before we see any updates on LEGO sets based on the newly announced Harry Potter show, since it’s still in early stages and hasn’t landed a showrunner or any cast. We’ll make sure to keep you updated on all things LEGO Harry Potter.

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