HBO
Will there be a Harry Potter series? Everything we know about the HBO project
Rumors of a remake of the saga of the boy who lived surfaced this week. We check everything known about this upcoming adaptation that HBO is working on.
The Harry Potter saga is one of the most important in popular culture in recent years. Although it is currently embroiled in fierce controversy due to its creator’s transphobic comments, the recent success of Hogwarts Legacy on current-generation consoles shows that there is still interest in the Wizarding World, even if its creator’s hate speech continues to be supported.
This week, a Bloomberg report revealed that Warner Bros. is in negotiations to remake the Harry Potter saga, this time as a TV series with HBO. We will take a look at all the details that are known about this production.
First things first
This project is still in its early stages and much of what happens could change or be just a rumor, so we would have to wait for Warner Bros. or HBO to make an official announcement.
How this project came about?
The possibility of a television series based on the world of Harry Potter has been discussed for several years. Two years ago, Warner Bros. assigned Rom Ascheim, president of the Kids, Young Adult and Classics division, to begin negotiations with Rowling and her representatives. However, following the acquisition of Discovery last year, Ascheim left the company and the division was disbanded.
In 2021, reports began to surface about early development of this series for HBO Max. At the time, Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s head of originals, said, “There are no Harry Potter shows in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.”
In recent months, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has mentioned the company’s focus on franchises, with Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter as key parts of the new strategy. As mentioned before, a Bloomberg report earlier this week mentioned the plans te develop this series, however, a source for IGN clarifies that Warner Brothers is “nowhere near a deal,” but the project remains in talks.
What will the Harry Potter series be about?
As mentioned above, the concept behind this project is to adapt the 7-book Harry Potter series into a television series format. According to the first reported details, each season will cover one book in the series, allowing enough time to delve into details not covered in the movies.
What talent is involved in this project?
Since the project is in its early stages, Warner Bros. Discovery’s first priority would be to find a writer and a showrunner to help shape the project. It is too early to talk about directors, producers, and actors, given the state of things. To talk about the presence of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint is still too far away to know.
Is J.K. Rowling involved?
At this point, it is unknown if she is involved, although as the author of the series, she has creative control over any exploitation of her work. This could mean that she could be a producer, or even just give the go-ahead for someone else to be in charge. We should remember that the author was not involved in the recent Hogwarts Legacy.