Sophia Michaels
The show’s creator has been tight-lipped on its contents but said “it’s a very big project” and that she and Max are working on it “like collaborationally.”.
It’s the news that Harry Potter fans have been waiting for: a TV reboot is officially on the way. On April 12, Max — the new streamer born out of the merging of HBO Max and Discovery+ — confirmed that an original Harry Potter television series is a go. The show will be a “faithful adaptation” of the series, per the press release, and each season will cover one of the books.
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” said HBO & Max Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”
News about the show has been buzzing since April 3, when Bloomberg reported that HBO, which sits under Warner Bros. Discovery, was close to sealing a deal to turn J.K. Rowling’s most popular books into a TV series. The idea was that the TV show would cover the wizarding world in even more detail than the hugely popular film franchise, which saw eight films released from 2001 to 2011, per Bloomberg.
The films catapulted Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) to superstardom as the world watched them grow up in the lead roles. At the same time, we muggles were transported into the land of spells, giants, and Goblets of Fire. While the TV series is seemingly in its very early stages, Grint has confirmed he’s all for Harry Potter sequels and remakes. The actor spoke to GQ Hype in January and revealed he’d be happy to see a remake. “I’d love to see Harry Potter be adapted into a TV show. I think it would really work,” he said. He also appeared on ITV’s “This Morning” earlier this year and added: “I think there’d be a feeling of passing the baton, letting someone else play Ron,” he said. “It’s weird because I’m protective over him, I could relate to him so much, and then I was picked to bring him to life. That’s hard to let go. But it would be nice to, as well.”
Of course, we’ve not been totally denied of magic thanks to Harry Potter spinoffs, including the Fantastic Beasts movies, but this will see the stories being revisited for the first time since “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.” There’s no denying the fantastical world of Hogwarts has remained incredibly popular over the years, but its creator has been shrouded in controversy over her transphobic comments. According to the press release, Rowling will be working closely with Max on the series.
Rumors began circulating about HBO developing a Harry Potter series back in January 2021, according to The Hollywood Reporter, although no official deals had been made at the time. Now, two years later, it’s finally gotten the green light.
