Everything We Know About the ‘Harry Potter’ TV Show
“Harry Potter” is coming to the small screen.
13 years after the final “Harry Potter” film was released, HBO will pioneer the return of the beloved characters in the brand new “Harry Potter” TV show.
The consistent popularity of J.K. Rolling’s book series and their partnering films makes a TV series a natural next step. The power of the Wizarding World is unmatched, as proven by its global success. The “Harry Potter” film series is one of the highest-grossing of all time — the eight feature films alone, released between November 2001 and July 2011, grossed a combined $7.84 billion worldwide.
The world of “Harry Potter” has expanded far beyond films and books in the past decade. From theme parks to video games, the team has no intention of slowing down. The TV series is just the next step into a “new era” for the franchise. But what can fans expect from the first-ever “reboot” of the material?
Here’s everything we know about the upcoming “Harry Potter” series.
Each season will be based on one novel
The series will be based on the seven Harry Potter books written by J.K Rolling, retelling the story of the young wizards in a new way. It seeks to be a “faithful adaptation.”
The show “will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content.
The team is in it for the long run— the plan is to adapt one of the seven books from the series per TV season.
The creative team is spearheaded by a pair of “Succession” alums
Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod are the showrunner and director duo for the series, respectively. Gardiner was a writer on “Succession” while Mylod was a director of several episodes, including the iconic “Connor’s Wedding.” Both will also serve as executive producers.
Mylod is set to direct multiple episodes. Some of his other most notable work was his direction on episodes of “Game of Thrones,” and he directed the film “The Menu” Also, his direction of the film “The Menu.”
But the show also features a familiar face — David Heyman was a key producer on the entire “Harry Potter” film series and the “Fantastic Beasts” films and is an executive producer on the TV show.
Additional executive producers are Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and Heyman of Heyday Films.
A new cast will take on the iconic roles
Don’t expect Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint to show up. The series will recast the lead roles.
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters ‘Harry Potter’ fans have loved for over 25 years,” HBO said in a statement announcing the show.
Some of the original cast members have confirmed that they will be sitting this one out, and will be “passing the torch” to the new generation of the franchise.
“I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it,” said Radcliffe.
Despite controversy, J.K Rowling will remain involved
J.K Rowling is indeed involved in the new series as an executive producer. Fans are not happy about this decision considering the controversy surrounding her outspokenness against transgender people.
Despite the controversy and backlash, the HBO team stands by her involvement.
“She will be involved. She’s an executive producer on the show,” Bloys told press last year. “And I think her insights are going to be incredibly helpful on that. And remember, we’re in the Potter business. You know, the TV show is new, and we’re excited about it. But we’ve been in the Potter business for 20 years. So this is not, you know, a new decision. So we’re very comfortable.”
Radcliffe and Emma Watson, known for he role as Hermione, made sure to let fans know where they stand following Rowling’s anti-trans comments.
“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are,” Watson tweeted.
It will be released in 2026
Not much is known in terms of an official timeline, but the HBO team is aiming for a 2026 release. The series has been in development since 2021.
The “Harry Potter” series will air on HBO
When the series was first announced, it was going to solely stream on Max as a Max original. But in June HBO changed course and decided to brand the “Harry Potter” series and other IP-driven projects as HBO originals, so the show will air on HBO and stream on Max instead of only streaming on Max.
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