HBO's Harry Potter Vs. Greta Gerwig's Narnia: Which Fantasy Reboot Is More Exciting?

There's a lot to look forward to over the next year, especially as far as the Harry Potter and Narnia franchises are concerned. These are two of the most iconic fantasy stories of all time, and they both happen to be getting reboots within a few months of one another. HBO is re-adapting the Harry Potter books into a TV show premiering on December 25, 2026, while Netflix has the Narnia: The Magician's Nephew movie, created by Barbie's Greta Gerwig, on the way, hitting theaters on February 12, 2027. It's just a great time to be a fantasy nerd.

Both Harry Potter and Narnia already had screen adaptations in the early 2000s and 2010s, so this big return, as we enter the latter half of the 2020s, comes with plenty of nostalgia. These new projects are also a chance for both franchises to correct some of the mistakes of the previous films. The Narnia movies never finished adapting all of C.S. Lewis' beloved books, while the Harry Potter films omitted a great deal of important context and lore from J.K. Rowling's series. Still, given the popularity of both sets of films, there's divisiveness surrounding both new projects.

Overall, this means there are pros and cons to both HBO's Harry Potter TV show and Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew. So, while there are plenty of reasons to look forward to both projects, one is likely to generate more hype than the other, and it's whichever has the most going for it.

The Harry Potter Show’s TV Format Is Extremely Valuable

While the 2000s were all about turning popular fantasy and YA book series into film franchises, things have changed. Episodic television is now the preferred medium for these sorts of adaptations for one key reason. TV shows like Game of Thrones have demonstrated how complex fantasy stories are just better suited to the longer format of television. The Harry Potter movies missed out on a lot because there wasn't enough time to adapt the full story.

It's also worth noting that the film industry isn't what it used to be. The global box office still hasn't returned to the sorts of numbers it saw pre-COVID, and even on streaming, movies aren't getting the same level of attention as TV shows. It's a bit surprising that, given all this, Netflix and Gerwig chose to do another Narnia film franchise rather than take a new angle with television.

Greta Gerwig’s Narnia Will Cover Previously Unadapted Material

When it was announced that Gerwig would create a new Narnia film series, a common hope was that she would start with The Magician's Nephew rather than the more traditional The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. While the latter book was the first Lewis wrote for his Narnia series, the story isn't technically the first in the chronology. It's also already been adapted to the screen a handful of times, while The Magician's Nephew has yet to be brought to the screen.

The fact that the Narnia revival is starting with fresh material is a significant advantage, since a frequent criticism of HBO's Harry Potter show is that we've been there, done that. Still, there's a slight disadvantage here as well, since The Magician's Nephew is less known than other installments in the fantasy book series, so an adaptation may not attract a wider mainstream audience.

Harry Potter Is A More Familiar & Mainstream Franchise

As far as massive fantasy franchises go, Harry Potter is on the young side. Book series like The Lord of the Rings and Narnia have been around for the better part of a century, while Harry Potter is only about 30 years old. Still, the Wizarding World is a cultural phenomenon in a way no other book franchise has achieved. There's an endless supply of merchandise in constant circulation, as well as amusement parks, fan sites, and beyond.

Narnia is somewhat niche by comparison. The original The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe movie performed admirably at the global box office, bringing in about $745 million, but each subsequent film saw a significant decline. The Harry Potter movies consistently overperformed with subsequent installments, with Deathly Hallows: Part 2 alone making $1.3 billion. Said and done, it's clear which title is more popular and familiar.

Narnia Will Have A Hybrid Theatrical & Streaming Release

The benefit of Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew being a film is that it can have a theatrical release. Netflix doesn't typically release its films in theaters, and when it does, the project has an extremely limited release. The platform is breaking its rule with Narnia, giving the film a major global theatrical release in February of 2027. The Magician's Nephew will then become available to stream just a couple of months later, on April 2, 2027, providing viewers with the best of both worlds.

While episodes of HBO's Harry Potter may be shown in select theaters across the globe (this isn't entirely unheard of), it's not a widely available option to viewers, nor would it be particularly profitable for HBO and WBD. In this way, Narnia has an edge, since theatrical releases, even in this day and age, are often significant events and a great opportunity for merch sales.

HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Is The More Exciting Project Overall

The fact that Gerwig's Narnia: The Magician's Nephew is the first adaptation of this particular book and that it will get a theatrical release is certainly something to be excited about. It's an opportunity for new audiences to discover this story and for long-time fans to finally see Lewis' work get some extra attention. There's also hope that Gerwig will adapt further Narnia books, potentially bringing the complete saga to the screen for the first time. Still, said and done, this project doesn't have quite as much potential as Harry Potter.

Gerwig's Narnia movie may be a one-and-done, while HBO's Harry Potter revolves around a 10-year television plan. The 2020s and 2030s could be defined by this moment in media history. With such a broad target audience, this series could be a greater phenomenon than even Game of Thrones.

When it comes down to it, there is enough book material that wasn't included in the Harry Potter movies to make HBO's TV show feel just as fresh as Gerwig's Narnia. This value will only increase with each season as the story becomes more complex. At the same time, if Gerwig continues through Narnia chronologically, she will have to re-adapt The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was thoroughly adapted to the screen in the 2005 film. Said and done, there is just more long-term potential for HBO's Harry Potter, making it the more exciting project.

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  Harry Potter

  Release Date December 25, 2026

  Showrunner Francisca Gardiner

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    Dominic McLaughlin

    Harry Potter

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    Janet McTeer

    Minerva McGonagall

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  Narnia: The Magician's Nephew

  Release Date February 12, 2027

  Producers Mark Gordon, Amy Pascal, Rachel O'Connor

  Cast

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    Carey Mulligan

    Mabel Kirke

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    David McKenna

    Digory Kirke