Summary

HBO's Harry Potter has started filming and will span over a decade, adapting each book into a season.
Netflix erred in delaying Stranger Things' production, resulting in rapid aging of child actors.
HBO's focus is maintaining young appearances in Harry Potter cast to ensure a smooth long-term series.

HBO's Harry Potter has begun filming recently, kickstarting a journey that is set to take over a decade to complete. With each of JK Rowling's novels being given a season, there will be no shortage of magical content coming people's way. That will fill a gap that Stranger Things is set to leave behind, with the upcoming season set to be the final one for the Netflix epic.

While there is a legitimate buzz surrounding the climactic season of Stranger Things due to its high quality, that doesn't mean the series is without fault. Over the years, Netflix has made one major mistake with the show, and HBO's Harry Potter must avoid making it if possible.

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By Matthew Wilkinson

Netflix Delayed The Production Of Stranger Things For Too Long

The Actors Ended Up Aging Dramatically Between Seasons

One of the most compelling aspects of Stranger Things initially was the fact that the heroes were predominantly children. It created a unique situation where seemingly innocent young characters had to fight against the scariest monsters imaginable, creating some incredible visuals and a gripping underdog story. However, as is the case whenever a television show uses children, the actors are inevitably going to grow up. Audiences expected that when Stranger Things began, but Netflix has ended up allowing far too much time to elapse between each season, to the point where all the children are full-blown adults still having to act as if they're much younger. The show began in 2016 and will be wrapping up with its fifth season at the end of the year. The fact that it's taken a full decade to provide that level of television is staggering and is one of the biggest complaints people have about the show.

Only three years have passed in the world of Stranger Things. The show began in 1983, and the end of the fourth season was supposedly 1986, yet the characters have aged dramatically. It's hard to buy into them in the same manner initially intended, and that has hurt Stranger Things in some ways. While the story's quality and the acting have allowed the show to remain popular, this is a mistake that other long-term shows will likely look to avoid.

HBO's Harry Potter Must Keep A Tighter Filming Schedule

There Are Too Many Students For Significant Age Changes

HBO's Harry Potter is guaranteed to run for a lengthy period as filming has only begun, and the first season will not air until 2027. Following that, there will be a further six seasons, meaning the show will not end until 2031 at the earliest, presuming one season drops yearly. While that might be slightly unrealistic, HBO needs to get the filming schedule to be as tight as possible to avoid huge jumps in age. It appears they're aware of that, as there is only set to be a two-month break between the end of filming for Harry Potter season one and the following season, which is a positive. It proves that they might be learning from the mistake that Netflix made with Stranger Things, which is good.

The age of the cast is arguably even more critical with HBO's Harry Potter than it is with Stranger Things, because each book follows a school year. Audiences are supposed to see them go through their school journey, which is what makes the scenes in Hogwarts compelling. It also plays a significant role later in the series when Dumbledore's Army is created compared to Order of Phoenix, as Harry's young team are supposed to be seen as the future that will replace them. Yet, they're also meant to be vulnerable, just learning and developing as witches and wizards. That idea only makes sense if the actors themselves look young, and that's why the production will need to be snappy.

HBO's Harry Potter Relies Heavily Upon The Students Being Young

Fans Are Supposed To Go On The Journey Of Growth With Them

Dumbledore's Army in Harry Potter — harry-potter-dumbledores-army-

Harry Potter has a lot of older characters to provide balance throughout the show, but that dynamic only works when the actors are the right age. It's something that the Harry Potter movies managed to get right for the most part, with the students always looking far younger than the older actors, which allowed the storytelling to flow and feel impactful. The teacher and student dynamic works better that way, while the idea of students fighting against the most powerful villain in the Wizarding World is the reason why the story is charming. The novels are targeted toward younger audiences, and that's why having relatable characters is important, and that includes the visuals of how old the actors are.

One of the magical aspects of Harry Potter as a story is the fact that audiences get to go with the main characters as they age. People get to see the students go from children to adults, which is particularly important for the Golden Trio, as their maturity is crucial in the war against Lord Voldemort later on in the series. Audiences also just don't want to see the cast of Harry Potter jump in age when they're supposed to be young students. It's crucial when it comes to this series that the filming takes place quickly in a bid to keep HBO's Harry Potter running smoothly in the long term.