Unsurprisingly, it appears HBO's upcoming Harry Potter series will likely be the most expensive TV show ever made by the premium cable network. The first season, an adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, premieres this Christmas, while Season 2 (based on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) is currently shooting.
According to Deadline (via SFFGazette.com), a company, Plum Jam Productions, has been set up to produce Harry Potter, and it recently filed earnings for 2025 with the UK's Companies House.
The accounts reveal that the company's revenue was £130.6 million ($175 million) last year when Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone first went into production. In 2024, when development first got underway, Plum Jam Productions' revenue was £18.4 million ($24 million).
As the trade explains, "The figures suggest that as much as £150M ($201M) could have been spent embarking on the Harry Potter television project."
"Taking Plum Jam Productions' earnings as a rough guide, Harry Potter's first season could average out at around £18.8M ($25.2M) per episode," the report adds. "Though an estimate, it would mean that Potter comfortably sits in the same big-budget bracket as the final season of Game of Thrones, which was widely reported to have cost $15M an episode."
A source close to the series explained that Harry Potter has a high upfront cost because of the "lavish sets" that had to be built at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Many of those will be used throughout all seven seasons, helping lower the average budget of future episodes (remember, most of the story takes place inside Hogwarts).
There is nothing special about Harry Potter - at least that's what his Aunt Petunia always says. On his 11th birthday, a letter of admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry opens up a hidden world for Harry: one of fun, friendship and magic. But with this new adventure comes great risk, as Harry is forced to face a dangerous enemy from his past.
The main cast of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy.
The series, based on J.K. Rowling’s beloved books, is written and executive-produced by Francesca Gardiner. Mark Mylod will executive-produce and direct multiple episodes of the series for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The series is executive-produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone premieres on HBO Max this Christmas.