By 29 years after the release of the first Harry Potter novel and 25 years after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was first released in theaters, HBO is set to debut a brand new adaptation of the series. Retelling the nostalgic story of Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s childhood years, their war with Voldemort, and their friendship with Dumbledore and Hagrid, the show is set to recapture the hearts of millions of fans and introduce a new generation to this beloved story.
This article will cover everything we’ve learned about the HBO series so far.
What story will the show cover?
HBO has already announced that the show will be adapting the mainline book series, starting with an adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. As fans of the franchise will remember, this is the first novel in the seven-book saga, in which Harry Potter first discovers he is a wizard, enrolls in Hogwarts, and meets his friends Ron and Hermione and his great adversary Voldemort for the first time.
After the first season, the show will cover a new book with each season. This means the show is targeting a seven-season run. With that said, fans of Warner Bros’ original Harry Potter film series can consider the show a “remake” of their beloved film franchise. Though technically, both the films and this new television series are adaptations of the source material.
HBO’s television series will face different challenges than Warner Bros’ original Harry Potter film series, with a more grounded television budget and the hope to both win over a new audience and honor the existing fandom of the sprawling Harry Potter franchise.
The number of episodes per season and the average length of episodes are not yet known, but it’s safe to assume the series will have a much lengthier runtime which will alllow it to delve deeper into this world of witches and wizards, cover material that the films had to drop, and possibly even expand further with original scenes and plotlines not included in the books.
When is the show releasing?
HBO originally announced the show with a Late 2026 release window. The show is now in the late stages of pre-production, with filming slated to begin this Summer in Leavesden Film Studios, located in the vicinity of London, England. This is the same studio where the iconic film series was filmed, and production is expected to last until May of 2026.
With most of the main cast members already revealed and sets now being built in the studio, there is currently no delay in production, and the 2026 release still seems possible. However, it is important to note that a major scheduling bottleneck in expensive fantasy shows is the post-production and visual effects. For this reason, we wouldn’t be surprised if the show ends up releasing Early 2027 at the earliest, if not mid-2027.
The production codename for the first season is Dark Train and there’s lots of activity at Leavesden Studios already. Here’s the little production logo they came up with for the codename:
Who is making the Harry Potter TV show?
The two key production members of HBO’s Harry Potter series were announced in 2024. Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner, and she will decide the overarching vision of the series, lead the writers’ room, and provide the final stamp of approval to the various creative teams that will work on the show. Gardiner started her career as a writer, working on shows such as Medici and The Man in the High Castle. Gardiner is no stranger to family-friendly fantasy series, having worked as writer and producer on HBO’s His Dark Materials. Gardiner has also worked on the critically acclaimed HBO series Succession, for which she won 2 Emmys as a producer.
Other writers in the team include Andy Greenwald (Legion), Laura Neal (Killing Eve), Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom), and Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes).
Besides Gardiner, Mark Mylod will serve as the main director and a key creative mind to bear the responsibility of bringing the show to life. Mylod is an accomplished director with experience in shows such as Game of Thrones, The Entourage, Shameless, and Succession, where he first worked with showrunner Francesca Gardiner.
Other key crew members include Costume Designer Holly Waddington (Clash of the Titans) and Casting Directors Lucy Bevan (The Batman) and Emily Brockmann (Deadpool and Wolverine). And, speaking of casting…
The Cast of HBO’s Harry Potter Show
Many of the key cast members of the series have already been revealed, including the following roles:
- Dominic McLaughlin (Grow) as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- John Lithgow (Dexter) as Albus Dumbledore
- Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror) as Severus Snape
- Janet McTeer (Ozark) as Minerva McGonagall
- Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) as Rubeus Hagrid
- Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) as Molly Weasley
- Johnny Flynn (Central Intelligence) as Lucius Malfoy
- Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) as Draco Malfoy
- Bel Powley (A Small Light) as Petunia Dursley
- Daniel Rigby (Black Mirror) as Vernon Dursley
- Bertie Carvel (Dalgliesh) as Cornelius Fudge
- Paul Whitehouse (The Death of Stalin) as Argus Filch
- Luke Thallon (Present Laughter) as Quirinus Quirrell
- Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil
- Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown
- Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan
That covers everything we’ve learned about HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation so far. With filming set to begin in the UK in the coming days, more news is sure to follow. Stay tuned.
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