After months of rumours, it is finally official; Harry Potter is getting rebooted as a TV series on Max (formerly HBO Max). It will be a decade-long series with seven seasons, one for each book.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Max series is described as follows:
The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. 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. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally
David Zaslav, the Warner Bros Discovery CEO, announced the Harry Potter TV series during a presentation of the new streaming service. This is what Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, had to say about the new series:
We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. 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.
J.K. Rowling will be an executive producer of the show, in addition to Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts. It has not been confirmed whether David Hayman is returning as a producer. He was a producer on all eight Harry Potter movies. J.K. Rowling also released a statement alongside the announcement of the new series.
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.
The release date of the first season is yet to be announced.
