HBO’s Harry Potter remake will retell the entire magical story, but some changes must be made to the grand finale. The new series’ TV format will allow for a more book-faithful adaptation, which is great news considering all the Harry Potter movies had to cut. However, changing a story from one medium to another is no simple task, especially when the plot is already so familiar to fans. Changes will be necessary, but so long as HBO is careful, the upcoming Harry Potter TV show can end with a bang while still aligning with canon.

Warner Bros and HBO plan to begin streaming the Harry Potter remake on Max sometime in 2026, with entire seasons dedicated to each of author J.K. Rowling’s books. The series falls within a 10-year plan established by the two companies, which means that we still have a long way to go before the end of Harry’s story is again adapted to the screen. Still, there is a lot to look forward to in this regard since Harry and Voldemort’s final battle was simplified for the Harry Potter movies. This and much more will need to be corrected for the remake, but it’s the epilogue that may need the bigger adjustments.

The Harry Potter Remake’s TV Format Requires A New Ending

HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Will Need to Dedicate More Time To Wrapping Up Individual Character Arcs

The epilogue of the Harry Potter movies was more or less the same as the books. The story jumped ahead 19 years to the day that Harry and Ginny were bringing their middle son, Albus Severus, to the Hogwarts Express for the first time. It was a heartwarming scene and perfectly demonstrated the safer version of the wizarding world that Harry had helped bring about. However, since those who have read the books and watched the movies have now experienced this ending twice, HBO’s remake will need to do something different to keep audiences on their toes.

Still, this isn’t the most important reason the Harry Potter remake would need a new ending. As effective as the epilogue was at allowing a peek into a Voldemort-free wizarding world, it did very little to tie up the loose ends of individual character stories. This was acceptable for the book and movie series, but it won’t be enough for the Harry Potter remake, which will follow a unique set of unwritten story rules.

Every character arc will need to be wrapped up, and in a TV format, the short Harry Potter epilogue simply won’t cut it.

The TV show format of the Harry Potter remake means that far more attention must be placed on the arcs of individual characters. While the books and movies mainly focused on Harry’s perspective, it would be strange to stick with this for dozens of hours across seven seasons worth of episodes. We are sure to get more one-on-one time with the other characters of Harry Potter, and this will mean that each of these storylines will need a satisfying ending. Every character arc will need to be wrapped up, and in a TV format, the short Harry Potter epilogue simply won’t cut it.

The Harry Potter Epilogue Has Always Been A Divisive Ending

Even For The Books & Movies, The Epilogue Didn’t Quite Cut It

The epilogue of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was undoubtedly heartwarming, but the scene itself has been the topic of heavy debate for years. The movie version was especially frustrating, with almost no time dedicated to what life looked like for these characters in the years following Voldemort’s downfall. Additionally, the aging-up makeup used on the Golden Trio was notoriously bad, and after years with these characters, spending the final scene of Harry Potter with their heavily powdered counterparts was a bit of a disappointment.

The book version of the Harry Potter epilogue had a little more to offer, but it still wasn’t perfect. While the text did mention that Neville Longbottom had become a Hogwarts teacher and that Hagrid was alive and well, there was very little else offered in the way of a satisfying ending for the plethora of characters Harry Potter had introduced. More focus was put on Harry’s children (and their outrageous names), and while this had value toward the themes of peace in a time without Voldemort, it left many readers unsatisfied.

HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Can Go Beyond The Ending (& Still Stay Canon)

The Final Season Of The Harry Potter TV Show Can Cover The Events Between Voldemort’s Downfall & The Epilogue

The biggest problem with the ending of Harry Potter is the gap between Harry defeating Lord Voldemort and the epilogue. It was important that audiences see the life that Harry had built for himself 19 years later, but the ending left questions about the days and years following the Battle of Hogwarts a mystery. Answers about how the Weasleys handled Fred’s death, when Harry and Ginny got married, what Neville did after becoming a war hero, who took care of Teddy Lupin, and much more were only answered after the series ended. Thankfully, HBO’s Harry Potter remake can fix this.

We could see Fred’s funeral, Harry and Ginny’s wedding, Teddy Lupin’s first birthday, and much more.

Though the epilogue must still be featured in the Harry Potter remake, the story can be continued beyond Harry’s defeat of Lord Voldemort. Perhaps the time jump forward 19 years can be balanced by flashbacks of important moments that took place in the years between. We could see Fred’s funeral, Harry and Ginny’s wedding, Teddy Lupin’s first birthday, and much more. The Harry Potter TV show could see Minerva McGonagall bravely step in as headmistress of Hogwarts, and the scene in which Dolores Umbridge is sent to Azkaban could be featured as well. These would all be canon moments finally brought to the screen.

Could The Harry Potter TV Show Cover Cursed Child Too?

The Story Of Cursed Child Would Need A Lot Of Changes To Work As A TV Show

After filling in the 19 years of important events, the Harry Potter TV show could still end with the epilogue (preferably with some better aging-up makeup). However, the story doesn’t necessarily have to stop here, either. Rowling continued the tale with Harry Potter and the Curse Child, picking up from the epilogue and continuing on to Albus Potter’s time at Hogwarts with best friend, Scorpius Malfoy. Of course, like the epilogue, the events of Cursed Child have also been highly divisive, with arguments made regarding whether the story counts as canon.

Of course, HBO’s Harry Potter remake could always take inspiration from Cursed Child in its ending rather than directly adapting the play. Albus’ story was designed for theatre, and, as yet another medium, this means it differed significantly from both the books and movies. With a shift in tone and some adjustments to some of the more problematic aspects that contradict the rules of Harry Potter, it could make for an interesting 8th season of HBO’s series. Regardless of whether the upcoming remake takes this route, a unique ending from the Harry Potter TV remake is a must.