After rumours began several weeks ago, HBO Max has confirmed that a Harry Potter TV series has been greenlit. They tweeted that; “Max has ordered the first ever Harry Potter scripted television series, a faithful adaptation of the iconic books.” This was part of a huge raft of announcements to coincide with the streaming channel's name change to Max.
A press release provided more information, including that it's planned to be a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.” It adds that a “new cast will lead to a new generation of fandom” and that “each season will be authentic to the original books.” It certainly sounds like it will be an epic on a par with Game of Thrones, in terms of scale and budget.
Fans of the books and the movie series will immediately go into overdrive, thinking about the casting of the Harry Potter characters they know and love. As for the central trio, who need to be around the age of 10-12 when the series starts and 18-20 when it finishes – that will definitely be a massive commitment for any young actors. Just ask the cast of Stranger Things.
Warner Bros are taking something of a risk, committing so much time and money to a new TV series version of Harry Potter. Amazon has recently done with the same with a Lord of the Rings TV series, to mixed results.
The recent Fantastic Beasts films were critically panned, but generally made a lot of money, and Warner Bros obviously want to continue to generate interest in lucrative Harry Potter merch, as well as the various theme parks and attractions associated with the franchise. Not least of which is the Warner Bros Harry Potter tour in London.
The original cast recently took part in a reunion special on HBO Max. They will now have to, unfortunately, contend with years of questions over whether they will be making cameo appearances in the series.
While we wait for more details, check out our guide to the best fantasy series.. We’ve also got a guide breaking down everything we know about the upcoming Harry Potter TV series release date. Finally, we’ve also got a guide breaking down everything we know about the upcoming Harry Potter TV series release date.