HARRY POTTER: Max Marketing Head Explains Decision To Use Movie Logo And Theme In Recent Teaser

HARRY POTTER: Max Marketing Head Explains Decision To Use Movie Logo And Theme In Recent Teaser

When Max (formerly known as HBO Max) announced plans for a new Harry Potter TV series, a teaser was shown that made use of the logo and theme from the movies. Now, that odd decision has been explained...

By JoshWilding - Apr 18, 2023 04:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Harry Potter
Source: Vanity Fair (via SFFGazette.com)

Last week, HBO Max was rebranded as "Max," and Warner Bros.' big promise for the streaming platform is that it will boast a rebooted Harry Potter TV series. The streamer has a decade-long plan for the Wizarding World franchise, and new actors will take over these iconic roles for what's been described as an "authentic" retelling of J.K. Rowling's novels.

The movies remain beloved among fans, and there's even an entire exhibit dedicated to the franchise in England. 

It's hardly surprising that many people have reservations about this remake, especially when the actors and visuals in the original series are nothing short of iconic. However, a recently released teaser confused many fans when it made use of the classic Harry Potter theme and logo. 

Talking to Variety (via SFFGazette.com), Pato Spagnoletto, global chief marketing officer of direct-to-consumer at Warner Bros. Discovery, was asked whether this means those familiar elements will be part of the small screen reboot. 

"We are so excited to have that franchise come back. It’s really entertained so many of us in the last 20 years. It’s so early on, honestly, that I don’t want to mislead you one way or the other," he explained. "We are just starting on the journey of what the content will look like, how it will be produced and shot."

"And obviously the marketing point is intended to reflect the actual content. So what we showed on the screen was just an illustration of the history and the richness of that, and is not necessarily an illustration of what we plan to market and how we plan to market the new content."

In other words, they have nothing to show yet and this was just a way to get subscribers excited about what they can expect from the Harry Potter franchise on Max. The time will come to create a new logo and theme for the property, though we don't envy whoever has to try and follow what's come before when it's so ingrained in the minds of fans. 

This new Harry Potter series doesn't currently have anything close to resembling a premiere date, but it is officially in the works.

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OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 4/18/2023, 5:20 AM
Was anyone dumb enough to think the use of the John Williams theme in the teaser was confirmation that the reboot will use the old music ? Because there's no way they'd have an original score ready to go for just a teaser.

I hope they keep the same logo, as that is the original books logo. It's the entire franchise's logo, not just the movie's.
Drace24
Drace24 - 4/18/2023, 7:01 AM
Keep it! Hedwig's theme is iconic and deeply interwoven with the brand. Probably the best thing the movies contributed to the franchise. Heck, rehire John Williams again! That guy is never going to retire.

Also keep the logo and the design of Hogwarts. What, will you rebuild the one in Wizarding World? What about Hogwarts Legacy which you just announced to become a franchise on its own. It would be good for this franchise that you clearly envision to be a cinematic universe to have ONE Hogwarts and ONE unifying style and you already have one. Keep what works and improve what didn't. No need to reinvent the wheel.
OrgasmicPotatoe
OrgasmicPotatoe - 4/18/2023, 7:06 AM
@Drace24 - I wholeheartedly agree with your second paragraph. I think modeling the Hogwarts sets to look like it does in the game would be brilliant brand synergy. The logo and Hogwarts design need to stay the same.

While I expect they'll reuse some of John Williams iconic score at some moments, I hope they also have an original score for the entire series. There is never enough Potter music.
Drace24
Drace24 - 4/18/2023, 7:18 AM
@OrgasmicPotatoe - They should just do what Hogwarts Legacy did. (In general that's a good blueprint for the franchise's future imo.) Allude to the classic soundtrack but then morph it into an original track. Actually, Fantastic Beats did a similar thing. And the entire soundtrack should still atleast have the same feeling as the John Williams score.
Boycee
Boycee - 4/18/2023, 7:21 AM
The tv series needs a new logo without question, and either a brand new main theme or a re-worked version of the existing theme.

I have no skin in the game with Harry Potter but it's basic common sense that keeping the existing theme and logo will piss off all the hardcore fans big time.
Drace24
Drace24 - 4/18/2023, 7:29 AM
@Boycee - How is that common sense? Changing beloved iconic things IS usually exactly what pisses fans of, not not doing that. I mean, I am a hardcore fan and hope they keep what works.
Boycee
Boycee - 4/18/2023, 7:59 AM
@Drace24 - The main point of a reboot is for it to have its own identity, then it can be fairly judged on its own merits. If they keep the exact same logo and beat-for-beat identical theme then all the hardcore fans are going to be constantly reminded of the original version and directly compare it/unfairly criticize the reboot even harder than they already are.

The logo definitely has to be a brand new one, though I can't see them getting rid of the iconic main theme, they should use different instruments to give the tv series its own unique feel.
Drace24
Drace24 - 4/18/2023, 8:57 AM
@Boycee - I'm always for originality but when you are doing a reboot there is no reason to throw away what works. Noone says it needs to be "beat by beat identical", just respect what came before and what people love about it. And I think you will have difficulty finding a Harry Potter fan who doesn't want to keep the theme and style of the movies. Since both this show and the movies are already faithful adaptations of the same books, the "have its own identity" thing is a doomed effort.

Honestly this line of thinking ruined so many promising remakes for me. I would have probably liked the MCU Spider-Man a whole lot more if it had taken inspiration from the previous incarnations instead going into exact opposite reaction in almost every way.

ninerstreet
ninerstreet - 4/18/2023, 8:22 AM
It’s telling Harry’s stories in a more complete way so they should use what is considered by everyone to be Harry’s theme (though it’s titled Hedwig’s). That theme isn’t Daniel’s theme it’s the theme to Harry Potter PERIOD. So use it. Same with the logo and the design of the world. Nobody wants this series because we want to see a new design for everything, we want the series so that we can experience the moments from the books that we were not able to experience in the films. The movies were great. They just weren’t enough. This is the way to experience more. If we could somehow have this series with the same actors when they were young I’m sure everyone would prefer that, but we can’t so the next best thing is to trust that they will re-cast in a way that does the characters proud and does characters justice. Warner Bros. don’t try to reinvent the wheel. That’s just one fan’s opinion.
Drace24
Drace24 - 4/18/2023, 8:50 AM
@ninerstreet -
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