Gary Oldman: HBO Harry Potter 'More Satisfying' Than Films — SkimNews
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- Gary Oldman told EW that HBO's Harry Potter TV series will be 'more satisfying' than the Warner Bros. films, arguing the movies were significantly abridged from J.K. Rowling's source material to fit runtime constraints.
- Oldman said the films had to be cut to 'like, three hours,' sacrificing character detail, while the HBO series is reportedly adapting the books 'word-for-word,' giving actors and storylines more room to breathe.
- Sirius Black — Oldman's beloved character — had only limited screen time across the original films, first appearing in 2004's 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and appearing only briefly in later installments before being killed off.
- HBO's Harry Potter series Season 1 has wrapped filming and premieres Dec. 25 on HBO and HBO Max, with Season 2 — based on Rowling's second book — currently in pre-production at Leavesden Studios outside London.
- HBO has not yet announced casting for the role of Sirius Black; confirmed cast includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry, Arabella Stanton as Hermione, Alastout Stout as Ron, John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, and Nick Frost as Hagrid.
- Oldman credited original director Chris Columbus, calling him underappreciated for 'setting the world up and casting it' and giving the ensemble a chance to 'literally grow into those roles.'
Why it matters: Oldman's endorsement carries particular weight given his personal stake in the franchise — he previously told IndieWire Sirius Black 'wasn't in it enough' and told Variety his own performance was 'mediocre.' His prediction that HBO can deliver a fuller adaptation highlights the central gamble facing the series: translating dense source material into a format that allows the character depth the compressed films couldn't.
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