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Thirteen years after “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” released in theaters and brought an end to Harry’s journey on the big screen, the Harry Potter universe is gearing up for a return in the form of episodic television.
Led by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and director Mark Mylod of “Succession,” HBO’s take on the beloved book-turned-movie-franchise aims to bring the magical world back to life as Harry Potter discovers he’s a wizard and leaves his muggle family behind to attend Hogwarts, a school of magic. Along the way, he befriends Ron and Hermione and becomes a significant part of a plot against Lord Voldemort, or as most call him, “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.”
The show comes nearly 30 years after J.K. Rowling published “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” which was adapted into a film directed by Chris Columbus in 2001. The Wizarding World franchise, which includes the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films, is ranked as the fourth-highest-grossing ever with $9.6 billion worldwide across 11 movies.
Popular on Variety Here is everything we know so far about HBO’s “Harry Potter” series.
How will the show differ from the movies? Each of the seven books will make up an entire season. Gardiner and Myold have talked about seeing the show as a chance to expand on the books and movies without undoing their legacy. For example, they talked about their desire not to “mess with” the Great Hall look.
They are hoping to “really dig into the character arcs” and explore the various characters in Hogwarts that didn’t get as much screen time before, including staff and workers.
Will J.K. Rowling be a part of the show? One of the most controversial elements of the Harry Potter world in recent years has been J.K. Rowling’s vocal comments online against transgender and non-binary people. Nevertheless, Rowling will serve as an executive producer on the show.
At a press conference on Nov. 12, HBO chief Casey Bloys mentioned that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process of selecting the writer and the director,” with her anti-trans comments not affecting their decision to work with her.
Do we know the cast yet? Not yet! It has been reported that around 32,000 kids auditioned in Ireland and the U.K. for the lead roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione. As of Dec. 5, Gardiner and Mylod were reviewing audition tapes. Their goal is to meet with shortlisted candidates in January.
In other major roles, Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) is reportedly being eyed for Dumbledore while Paapa Essiedu (“I May Destroy You”) is a top contender for Professor Severus Snape. No official deals have been confirmed yet, though, with casting still in early talks.
When will the show be filmed and released? The show is set to start filming in the summer of 2025 in Leavesden, where the movies were also filmed. HBO’s “Harry Potter” series is set to debut on Max in 2026.
