Fantasy Literature Adaptation in the Harry Potter Film Series

Abstract

This paper will examine the process of the Harry Potter books being adapted to the Warner Bros. films, investigating the connection between fantasy books and films. Throughout the process of the adaptation of the Harry Potter books to the Warner Bros. films, the way in which the structure of the story, the way in which the characters interact, the world created, is all altered from the book to the film. Narrative condensation, visual style, thematic representation, and the ways in which the constraints of the film alter the presentation of the story will specifically be investigated. While the films condense the story of the books, leaving out several storylines, the visual mythology created brings the boundaries of the original story further. It will be argued in this paper that the Harry Potter films do not simply recreate the books, but rather offer an interpretation of J.K. Rowling’s imaginative world through the new story form of the films.