Exploring The Ways ‘Harry Potter’ Has Shaped And Influenced Other Movies

Undoubtedly, ‘Harry Potter’ has left an indelible mark on popular culture, reshaping children’s literature, the fantasy genre and the dynamics of fandoms. The impact of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ extended beyond books to influence movies and the cinematic landscape. Upon its release, ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ dominated the box office in 2001, surpassing even ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ in earnings. This monumental success paved the way for the incorporation of various concepts and tropes from the ‘Harry Potter’ films into other cinematic creations.

While fantasy films for children and young adults existed before ‘Harry Potter,’ they didn’t achieve widespread box office success in the ’80s, often settling for cult classic status.

Harry Potter
Image Courtesy: The Direct

However, with Harry Potter’s arrival on the silver screen, fantasy films became a lucrative venture. The success of ‘Harry Potter’ led to a surge in fantasy film adaptations, including ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ (2005-2010), the ‘Twilight Saga’ (2008-2012) and ‘The Hunger Games’ (2012-2015). This doesn’t even account for the numerous false starts or TV shows inspired by the magical world of Harry Potter. The Wizarding World reignited audiences’ passion for fantasy films, marking a significant shift in the cinematic landscape.

While the presence of darkness in young adult fantasy films is not a novel concept, the series delved deeper, addressing themes of mortality and children facing peril on screen. This darker tone manifested in a cold and shadowy atmosphere, replacing the warmth and vibrant colours seen in earlier films as the characters underwent the loss of innocence. 

Image Courtesy: Tech Advisor

The impact of this darkness was evident in subsequent young adult fantasy movies, with one notable example being ‘The Hunger Games’. In this film, the characters’ tragic and perilous circumstances are mirrored in the cool lighting, muting even the brightest colours.

In the 1990s, a trend emerged in children’s fantasy films to incorporate social and political messages, with films like 20th Century Fox’s ‘Ferngully’ highlighting environmentalism themes. ‘The Philosopher’s Stone’ further solidified this trend, transforming fantastical, coming-of-age children’s movies into a platform for introducing serious topics to young audiences. ‘Harry Potter’ addressed the abuse of governmental power, while ‘The Golden Compass’ explored the exploitation of religious authority. Although superhero and dystopian films commonly explore these themes, a few fantasy properties still follow in the thematic footsteps of ‘Harry Potter.’ 

Image Courtesy: Parade

In the realm of young adult fantasy, ‘Harry Potter’ set the benchmark, making it nearly impossible to watch a fantasy movie without drawing comparisons to the iconic series, much like how ‘Star Wars’ defined space operas and ‘Lord of the Rings’ established the standard for high fantasy.

– Farheen Ali

loader