Following persistent rumors, we got confirmation of Warner Bros. Discovery's plans to revisit the Harry Potter franchise back in 2022 when Davis Zaslav took over as head of the studio, and the WBD CEO has now shared an update on the project's status.
During Friday's Q4 earnings call, Zaslav revealed that the first instalment of the reboot series is set to hit the MAX streaming service at some point in 2026.
As previously reported, controversial Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling will be involved with the series "so she can ensure it remains loyal to her original material.” The writer is not expected to be appointed as showrunner, but it sounds like she will have at least some creative input.
Zaslav mentioned that he flew to London a few weeks ago with HBO and Max content boss Casey Bloys and Channing Dungey, chairperson of Warner Bros. Television, to meet with Rowling about the show.
“We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,” Zaslav said on the call. “Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max.”
Rowling has become a highly divisive figure over the past few years due to her views on gender, which many perceive to be anti-trans.
“Activists in my mentions are trying to organize yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show," Rowling Tweeted shortly after the project was announced. "As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne,”
No casting for the series has been announced, but we do know that the actors from the big-screen franchise will most likely not be involved. Daniel Radcliffe, who played the Boy Who Lived in the eight Warner Bros. movies, has said he’s “definitely not seeking it out in any way."
Last we heard, Succession scribe Francesca Gardiner was in talks to board the show as a writer, with Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie also said to be in contention. On the latest episode of The Hot Mic podcast, co-host John Rocha said he'd heard that Gardiner has now been hired as showrunner.
"Harry Potter is a film series based on the eponymous novels by British author J. K. Rowling. The series is produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.