The Harry Potter remake will have time to expand on what’s in the source material, and several Sorcerer’s Stone scenes omitted from the 2001 movie are confirmed for the upcoming TV series. Although the Harry Potter movies hold up fairly well, they struggle with an issue most film adaptations face: they’re missing parts of the books they’re based on, as cuts are necessary to squeeze the events of a novel into a movie’s runtime. This gets worse as the fantasy series continues, but even the first Harry Potter film is missing a few key moments and characters from the Sorcerer’s Stone book.
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It seems this will be rectified in the HBO Max series, which will bring Harry’s first year at Hogwarts to life over the span of eight episodes. That leaves plenty of room to do the source material justice, right down to the smallest details. The upcoming remake can also elaborate on characters, relationships, and lore that doesn’t get enough attention in the books. We’ll have to wait until its 2026 release for a full picture of what’s included. However, there are several new scenes already confirmed, and they suggest a more faithful and in-depth take on the story.
6) Halloween Night in Godric’s Hollow
Harry Potter fans are fed the details of the night Voldemort descended on Godric’s Hollow in the books and films, but we don’t see it play out in full — and we don’t see parts of it until after Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry hears snippets of his parents’ sacrifice when faced with the Dementors in Prisoner of Azkaban, and we’re shown Halloween night from Snape’s perspective in The Deathly Hallows. However, it appears the HBO Max remake will take viewers into the night that Harry’s parents die. This is a shift from the 2001 movie, but it’s a smart way to up the stakes and action from the very beginning.
We can assume a scene of Voldemort arriving at Godric’s Hollow is happening thanks to behind-the-scenes photos, which show the set for the village and children dressed up for Halloween. Knowing that James and Lily Potter perish on October 31, 1981, it’s easy enough to put the pieces together. This also explains the rumors that Voldemort has been cast and will appear in more than one episode. While these whispers haven’t been confirmed, it seems likely we’ll see the villain at the height of his power in Season 1, not just on the back of Professor Quirrell’s head.
5) Vernon Dursley’s Day at Work
The first chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone details a day in the life of Vernon Dursley — a day that should be mundane but steadily builds to the Dursleys finding a baby on their doorstep. The normally well-hidden Wizarding World repeatedly reveals itself to Vernon throughout his workday, as witches and wizards are being less cautious while celebrating Voldemort’s demise. Vernon grows increasingly anxious that this will come to affect his family, something he’s right about. And his anxiety is dialed up to 10 upon hearing Harry’s name from one of the strangely dressed people he passes.
The Sorcerer’s Stone film skips this part of the source material, opting to throw viewers into the story more quickly. There are other opportunities to convey the Dursleys’ intense fear and hatred of magic. That said, Harry Potter set photos confirm that the remake will cover Vernon Dursley’s day at work, depicting Daniel Rigby’s version of the character bumping into a man in a purple cloak. This means the TV series will offer a more faithful introduction to Harry’s relatives, giving us an opportunity to see just how ordinary their lives were before Harry’s arrival. It also suggests we’ll see the contrast between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds as the latter celebrates Voldemort’s demise.
4) Wizarding World Celebrations Over Lord Voldemort’s Demise
The image of Vernon speaking to a man in a purple cloak all but confirms that we’ll see the celebrations that follow Voldemort’s downfall in 1981, another aspect of Sorcerer’s Stone‘s opening that the movie skips. The vast majority of the Wizarding World — basically everyone but the Death Eaters — are overjoyed on the heels of Voldemort’s defeat. Vernon Dursley sees this firsthand, and both Dumbledore and McGonagall comment on it upon meeting up on Privet Drive.
Including the festivities may not seem important at first glance, but it will help the TV remake lay the groundwork for Harry’s return to the Wizarding World. For one, seeing the response to Harry’s survival explains his continued fame years later. It adds context to why so many witches and wizards hold him in high regard, and it adds layers to his tensions with characters like the Malfoys. Additionally, the inclusion of the celebrations will help establish Voldemort as an intimidating villain just as much as showing Halloween night. There’s a reason so many people couldn’t wait for him to be gone.
3) Albus Dumbledore Meeting With Nicolas Flamel
One moment that’s only discussed in the books and films but will be shown in the Harry Potter remake is Albus Dumbledore’s meeting with Nicolas Flamel. The creator of the Sorcerer’s Stone, Flamel is the reason Dumbledore is in possession of the object in the first place. Rightly concerned that Voldemort will come after it, Flamel asks Dumbledore to safeguard it. Dumbledore recounts Flamel’s willingness to face his own death to prevent that from happening, and his courage and wisdom hits hard, even in passing.
With set photos depicting John Lithgow’s Dumbledore speaking to Flamel, it seems we’ll see the latter’s decision firsthand in the upcoming HBO Max show. This is a prime example of expanding the story in a way that adds more depth. It’s unclear when this scene will happen, as the Golden Trio’s realization that Nicholas Flamel holds the answer to what Fluffy is hiding serves as a twist of sorts. With that in mind, it’s possible this will be a flashback accompanying Dumbledore’s conversation with Harry. It could happen earlier though, as the TV series has the runway to venture outside of Harry’s perspective.
2) History of Magic Lessons
Richard Durden has joined the Harry Potter remake’s cast as Professor Binns, the History of Magic teacher at Hogwarts. Binns is one of the characters cut from the movies, which makes sense, given that he’s among Hogwarts’ most expandable teachers. Aside from explaining the mythos of the Chamber of Secrets in the second Harry Potter book, Binns is mostly mentioned in passing. Harry and his peers find History of Magic classes to be incredibly boring, which doesn’t make a great case for including them in the films.
However, casting Binns ahead of Season 1 suggests that there will be History of Magic lessons in the first batch of episodes. This indicates attention to detail when it comes to Harry’s day-to-day life at Hogwarts. The films don’t have time to elaborate on the smaller aspects of the school’s lore, particularly when those details would slow the pacing. However, the HBO Max show can. Arguably, doing so will make its setting as charming and immersive as it feels in the books.
1) Scenes With Peeves at Hogwarts
Peeves the Poltergeist is another Harry Potter character missing from the movies who is already confirmed to appear in the TV remake. There’s no word on who will portray him, but executive producers Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner told HarryPotter.com that having more time to expand on Hogwarts’ lore will allow them to “have some fun with Peeves in the corridors.” This means cut moments of Peeves pestering the school’s students and teachers will finally be brought to the screen.
In Season 1, that likely includes Harry’s introduction to Peeves ahead of the start-of-term feast, as well as Peeves catching Harry and his friends sneaking around Hogwarts at night. Like Binns, Peeves will add charm to Hogwarts with his antics, making the Harry Potter show’s backdrop feel more immersive. He’ll also make great comic relief, especially in some of the series’ later outings.
What Harry Potter scenes do you hope are included in the remake’s first season? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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