The seven season reboot of the Harry Potter franchise will be a decade-long series
Hold onto your broomsticks because the most magical news has just been confirmed! Warner Bros. Discovery has officially announced the TV adaptation of the world-renowned Harry Potter books during their presentation on Wednesday, the 12th of April 2023.
The global media company revealed their merger of HBO Max and Discovery Plus streaming services into one, aptly named Max. The Warner Bros Discovery CEO, David Zaslav, gave us another ultimate treat by revealing that the Harry Potter TV series is finally in the works for the new Max platform! Fans across the world can finally let out a sigh of relief and excitement, as the journey into the wizarding world continues after the successful release of the video game Hogwarts Legacy.
What is the Harry Potter TV series about?
The details of the new series were revealed after weeks of speculation regarding its timeline, with the fandom wondering whether the story will be a spin-off based on one of the popular characters or set in a completely different era. HBO and Max content Chairman and CEO, Casey Bloys, confirmed that the TV series will be an adaptation of J.K Rowling’s seven books, with each book transformed into a new season. The press release stated that the show will be a “decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for.”
Who will play the new Harry Potter?
Hold your horses as the new cast is not yet revealed, but as far as we know “the series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much-loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.”
But what is life without some hot spilled tea? Rumors around who will be the new Harry, Ron, Hermione, and most importantly, Professor Snape, have already started circulating. The word on the street is that Toby Woolf is in talks to be The Boy Who Lived, Joshua Pickering could be a great Ron Weasley, and none other than Adam Driver would replace the beloved late actor Alan Rickman. Will Helen Mirren play the wonderful and wise Minerva McGonagall? And who will be the next Hagrid? Those are all the questions we want answered, but only time will tell. Just imagine Tom Felton in the role of his on-screen father, Lucius Malfoy. How amazing would that be?
J.K Rowling’s involvement in the new Harry Potter series
If you’re wondering how much will J.K Rowling be involved in the show, according to Bloys:“[Rowling] will be involved. She’s an executive producer on the show. Her insights are going to be helpful on that.” He declined to comment on her anti-trans views stating how: “That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into.”
J.K quickly announced “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.”
Alongside Rowlings, we will have a chance to see how Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts and, possibly, David Heyman see the new format. David Heyman was one of the main producers of all the Harry Potter movies, and we know it would be a thrill if he had his hands on this project.
When will the Harry Potter TV show be aired?
Considering that the news is still fresh from the oven, all we can do is speculate based on rumors. According to some sources, the crew over at Warner Bros. are trying to speed up production and release the show in 2025/26. While this might make some fans happy, others are questioning if the series is even necessary. The show has generated a lot of discussion on social media platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, and TikTok, and there is some major hostility towards the idea of a reboot instead of a spin-off.
The Wizarding World
The TV show is just a new addition to the Wizarding World brand. Eight HP blockbuster movies, plus the additional Fantastic Beasts films, the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play, video and mobile games, theme parks and many products have made the franchise available to different generations of fans worldwide.
Will the introduction of this new/old story help Rowling and the studio reach the desired audience and cash in on this multi million dollar investment or will it flop and confirm what fans are afraid of? Let’s see what the verdict will be once it’s out. Until then, stay tuned.
