As a kid who had grown up a little too obsessed with “Harry Potter,” I was heartbroken when the seventh and final book of the series hit shelves eight years ago. Being that I was 16, I was a little moody about the whole thing, but my dad took one look at me and rolled his eyes.
“Oh, don’t worry. She’ll definitely write another book.”
I was incredulous. J.K. Rowling was no sellout! She had said there would only be seven books, and though it pained me to say goodbye to her beloved characters, I knew she would keep their integrity. I was confident that there would be no eighth book.
It never occurred to me that Rowling would sell out in even more disappointing ways.
At first it wasn’t so bad. She wrote little versions of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Quidditch Through the Ages” (books that Harry and his friends had read) and gave the proceeds to charities. She released supplementary material about characters on the site Pottermore, in case you wanted to know about the upbringing of Dolores Umbridge. For those dying to try butterbeer, take a picture with a replica of the Hogwarts Express or pay $44.95 for an interactive wand, Rowling approved the creation of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter—another Florida theme park in Universal’s empire.
All of these things are run-of-the-mill merchandising opportunities or works of charity. But lately, things have taken a decidedly less magical turn.
Remember “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”? Even though it’s a fictional textbook with no plot to speak of, Rowling is trying her hand at screenwriting to turn it into a feature-length film. No, make that a trilogy of films, because that worked out so well for “The Hobbit.” And did you hear? She’s collaborating to bring “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” a play that is not a prequel but maybe (sort of?) covers new material from before the books, to the London stage next summer.
Look, Rowling, if you’re going to milk this “Harry Potter” thing until you die, fine! At 16, I was maybe a little naively convinced of your integrity, but I can’t begrudge a woman for wanting to rake in that HP cash forever. But if that’s what you want, then just write another book. A prequel about Harry’s parents, a sequel about his kids—who cares? If you’re going to continue to play in this universe, actually do it and continue the story of characters we care about. Don’t base three movies on a textbook title.
The problem with these spinoffs is that they dilute the magic of the originals. They make us love Harry a little less just for being associated with lesser money-grubbing efforts that aren’t his fault. For those of you who would argue that something is better than nothing, it’s not! I could reread the series 10 times and a story about Newt Scamander still would make me wish I could just pick up the original for the 11th time.
I love “Harry Potter.” I checked the mailbox for my letter when I was 11, went to get the books at midnight, cried when Sirius died … you know, normal stuff. Those books made me fall in love with reading and put me on the path to becoming a writer, and nothing could convince me that they aren’t magical and life-changing.
But damn if Rowling isn’t trying.