HBO’s Harry Potter Ditches The Movies’ Most Beloved Aspect, And It Makes Sense

Published Sep 25, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT

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HBO's Harry Potter is not shying away from changing many aspects of the movies. It is not only striving to cover more narrative ground from the books than the movies ever could, but also setting the stage for many fascinating retcons. While it is hard not to welcome some of these changes with open arms, one of them feels a little too risky and bold.

As reports confirm, HBO's Harry Potter is abandoning the movies' iconic original theme, titled "Hedwig's Theme." Composed by John Williams, the original Harry Potter theme from the first three movies has almost become synonymous with the franchise. It perfectly captures everything from the magic to the sense of wonder that drives the franchise.

Given how the theme defines the franchise's legacy and identity in more ways than one, HBO's decision to drop it from the show is shocking. This creative decision certainly raises many questions about the direction the show is trying to head in. However, a closer look at it reveals how it could benefit HBO's Harry Potter.

Abandoning The Movies’ Theme Is A Major Risk For HBO’s Harry Potter

"Hedwig’s Theme" is to Harry Potter what the "Imperial March" is to Star Wars. For all Harry Potter fans, the theme still triggers strong emotions and feelings of nostalgia, reminding them of how they felt right at home in Hogwarts like the Daniel Radcliffe character. Dropping it means taking away years of emotion the franchise's fans have gradually built up.

Given how the show hopes to build a ground-up take on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, however, it makes sense that it is trying to take little from the movies. If it borrows the movies' most iconic theme, it could feel a little too derivative, which is already one of the biggest concerns surrounding the upcoming show. Owing to this, this creative decision makes a lot of sense.

At the same time, though, it is also hard not to see it as one of the biggest gambles from the upcoming series. John Williams' "Hedwig's Theme" in Harry Potter set an incredibly high bar and is still widely touted as one of the greatest film compositions of all time. It defines the Harry Potter franchise's identity in a lot of ways and replacing it with a new score will not be an easy feat.

HBO’s Harry Potter’s Composition Is Still In Safe Hands

Fortunately, for HBO's Harry Potter, it seems to be in safe hands since its composition is being done by Hans Zimmer. In an interview (via Collider), Zimmer talked about how he intends to approach the series. He confessed that he believes he cannot "write like John Williams." And even if he could, he discussed, he would try to create something completely different and more original for the series.

Zimmer even recounted how much pressure he felt when he worked on the composition for Zack Snyder's Man of Steel after John William had done the scores for the 1978 Superman movie. However, Snyder had helped him relieve some of that pressure by reminding that both Man of Steel and 1978's Superman were just movies.

Hans Zimmer seems to be approaching Harry Potter with the same mindset. And considering his long history of delivering some of the most iconic scores in cinema, it seems unlikely that his take on Harry Potter's composition will disappoint. While it will likely take viewers some time to get used to a whole new theme, Zimmer's involvement with the HBO series is bound to eventually pay off.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is HBO's adatation of the iconic Wizarding World book series tby J.K. Rowling. The first season, The Philosopher's Stone, follows the titular Harry Potter as he discovers his magical potential, enrolls at Hogwarts, and begins to uncover a sinister force.