HBO's Harry Potter show officially revealed a brand new lightning scar. Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will be well aware that the scar imprinted on the Boy Who Lived's forehead is one of its most iconic pieces of imagery. The scar became the stuff of legend in the Wizarding World after it was left on a baby Harry when Lord Voldemort tried and failed to murder him using the Avada Kedavra killing curse, only for it to deflect back at him due to his mother's protective magic.
The Harry Potter franchise is currently hyping up the annual Back to Hogwarts event, which takes place on September 1, the day that students famously return to the castle in the Wizarding World. This year, fans will be treated to a new glimpse of HBO's Harry Potter Season 1 on the special day, along with other festivities, including the Platform 9 3/4 fan experience in London.
The official announcement for the Back to Hogwarts event was notably branded with a new rendition of Harry Potter's famous lightning scar for the HBO show. The redesigned bolt is clearly distinct from Daniel Radcliffe's from the eight original Harry Potter movies, signaling that Dominic McLaughlin's will be vastly different.
Some fans have often pondered over the years whether the scar placed on Radcliffe looked a little too precise and drawn on, but HBO is taking steps to fix that with its far less polished reiteration.
Until Rubeus Hagrid came along to rescue Harry from his abusive aunt and uncle, the young wizard believed he got the scar as a baby in the car crash that killed his parents, only to discover that almost all of that narrative was pure fiction.
Those looking closely at the first trailer for the Harry Potter remake earlier in the year may have spotted the scar in several shots, not-so-subtly tucked behind the cruel Aunt Petunia Dursley's horrific, slapdash hairdressing.
HBO also offered up a zoomed-in shot of Harry's scar as he rode the London Underground with Hagrid (Nick Frost) on their way to Diagon Alley.
Comparing Harry Potter's infamous Avada Kedavra scar on the foreheads of McLaughlin and Radcliffe, the designs are clearly vastly different. For one, the mark has changed from a smooth, straight-lined bolt to a more jagged edge, which is arguably more fitting for a scar left behind from a near-death experience.
It isn't just Harry Potter's scar that HBO is redesigning for a new generation, as the streamer recently split the fanbase with a completely different Hogwarts logo, proving that change will always bring some degree of controversy.
Fans can look forward to a deeper dive into HBO's Harry Potter ahead of its Christmas Day (December 25) premiere on September 1. The expected new trailer may even address some of the more nitpicky criticisms of the remake, as HBO has already begun altering some Harry Potter footage in recent spots.
Warner Bros. Isn't Erasing the Harry Potter Movies, Despite HBO Redesigns
As one would expect, HBO is looking for new ways to differentiate its Harry Potter remake from the original movies, from slightly redesigning the lightning scar to completely overhauling the story structure. This time around, the focus won't just be on Dominic McLaughlin's Boy Who Lived, adding new scenes that weren't in the books or movies, expanding on the entire Hogwarts cast.
Fans will only uncover more of these changes in the coming months as Harry Potter gets more trailers, photos, and posters on the road to release. The remake is bound to change famous visual iconography - such as the Hogwarts castle, the witches and wizards' wands, and iconic creature and costume design - all of which will be reflected in a whole new range of merch and toys alongside the originals.
Warner Bros. may be reinventing Harry Potter for a whole new generation with the HBO remake, but that's not to say that the studio is showing any intention of erasing the classic movies. Even this year, as excitement looms for a modern reinvention, the studio is re-releasing Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with special popcorn buckets to celebrate its 25th-anniversary.
