Hogwarts was a victim of Harry Potter movies and HBO has eight hours to fix it
Hogwarts was a victim of Harry Potter movies and HBO has eight hours to fix it
Ravikumar N Sun, November 8, 2026 at 5:26 AM UTC
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The Hogwarts Great Hall ©YouTube/Harry Potter
The eight Harry Potter movies are a monumental achievement in franchise filmmaking. But there are several things that those movies got wrong, and one of those things is Hogwarts. The first two movies maintained continuity when it came to the magical castle, as Chamber of Secrets was filmed right on the heels of Philosopher's Stone's release.
However, the production team changed the look of Hogwarts from the third movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The third movie famously moved the location of Hagrid's hut and the Whomping Willow. The magical aspects of Hogwarts were downplayed from the third movie. Therefore, the HBO series has a chance to delve into the magic of Hogwarts.
The "Finding Harry" documentary hints that the Hogwarts in HBO's Harry Potter will be magical
The HBO series will have eight hours to paint the new Hogwarts as a magical place. The Harry Potter books described the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as an enchanting place where magic lurks in every corner. Ghosts and other magical beings roam the castle throughout the books, but the movies downplayed them since the third movie.
Then, one ghost (Helena Ravenclaw) returns in the final movie, Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Thus, the HBO show needs to retain the ghosts in all seven seasons to hint at the school's magical nature. The latest trailer hints at the school's deep magic as we see the food appear out of nowhere, and the manner in which it appears on the plate is a bit whimsical and disorganized.
Moreover, the one thing that the HBO series could do is firmly establish the look of Hogwarts in the first season. While the set decoration team could make some little changes, the overall look of Hogwarts should remain the same, with each season revealing even more magical aspects about the castle. This is where the inclusion of Peeves in the Harry Potter series factors in.
The HBO show has retained Peeves, a character the movies cut
There is a surprising lore behind Peeves the Poltergeist, which even the books did not reveal. If you read the books, you will consider Peeves to be nothing but a mischievous poltergeist, who causes chaos across the castle. We don't know how long he has been there in Hogwarts, or his backstory.
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An illustration of Peeves | Image Via: Pottermore/www.harrypotter.com
While Rowling has not given him a backstory, she did confirm that Peeves has been a part of the castle for centuries. The official page for Peeves describes an event in the late 19th century when Peeves inflicted a crushing defeat on the entire school staff. It states:
"Several concerted efforts to remove Peeves from the castle have resulted in failure. The last and most disastrous was made in 1876 by caretaker Rancorous Carpe, who devised an elaborate trap, baited with an assortment of weapons he believed would be irresistible to Peeves, and a vast enchanted bell jar, reinforced by various Containment Charms, which he intended to drop over the poltergeist once he was in place."
However, Peeves effortlessly broke out of the bell jar and caused significant damage to the school for three days. The entry continues:
"A three-day standoff was ended when the Headmistress of the day, Eupraxia Mole, agreed to sign a contract allowing Peeves additional privileges, such as a once-weekly swim in the boys’ toilets on the ground floor, first refusal on stale bread from the kitchen for throwing purposes, and a new hat – to be custom-made by Madame Bonhabille of Paris."
Moreover, the Poltergeist scored a major win when caretaker Rancorous Carpe chose to retire early. And, since 1876, no attempt has been made to rid the castle of Peeves. This interesting lore was revealed only in 2012, after the Harry Potter books and movies concluded their run. But the HBO series could distinguish itself by incorporating this interesting lore into the series.
The HBO series might be exploring the castle in a deeper way
Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner in 2024 | Image Via: Harry Potter/www.harrypotter.com
The official Potter website published an announcement in 2024 in which EPs Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod addressed what fans could expect from the HBO series. In that interview, Mylod revealed that he was personally excited to explore areas inside the castle that were left out in the movies, for example, the Hogwarts staffroom.
Moreover, the teaser trailer from March featured a moment in which students are walking into the castle to find Minerva McGonagall waiting for them on the staircase. That scene features a tree growing inside the castle walls. The official Harry Potter website entry described this feature as the production team "brought the outside in."
A tree inside the Hogwarts castle | Image Via: YouTube/HBO Max
The HBO Harry Potter series airs on HBO on 25 December, 2026.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
