Wizarding World continue to debate the necessity of a Harry Potter TV series. While the movies didn't—and ultimately couldn't—cover everything from J.K. Rowling's novels, they effectively told the Boy Wizard's story over eight features.
Still, there's something to be said about how a TV show opens the door to covering events and characters not featured, or glossed over, on the big screen. The opportunity is also there to expand those with new scenes, and it appears that's exactly what we'll get in Harry Potter Season 1 (an adaptation of The Philosopher's Stone, or The Sorcerer's Stone for those of you in the U.S.).
We've already seen signs of that, thanks to the inclusion of Lucius Malfoy, a character who didn't appear on the page until The Chamber of Secrets.
Now, Draco Malfoy actor Lox Pratt has confirmed that we can expect to see more of the supporting cast away from the main story that obviously around the titular Boy Wizard.
"You get to see all the teachers in their little rooms. You get to see Draco at home," Pratt told magazine 1883 (via SFFGazette.com). "I won’t spoil too much about that, but there are some brilliant scenes at home where you start to get an insight into how he is."
"I think with this adaptation, you get to see so much more than the books," he confirmed. "[The books] are very much over Harry’s shoulder, which is great, and that’s how they played the film as well. And I think Francesca and Mark have been audible about this in their interviews, there’s just so much more that you get to see."
By taking us inside the walls of Malfoy Manor, Pratt's hope is that we'll get a more rounded version of Draco. That will be particularly important by the time Season 6, a.k.a. The Half-Blood Prince, rolls around because the movie Draco was, as the 14-year-old puts it, a little "2D."
The actor explained, "Similar to [Lord of the Flies], I was grateful that we had the same freedom to explore these characters. Because in the films, Draco is sort of 2D; he is the sneery villain. I feel like there’s so much more – you need to understand why. And you see little glints of it in the film with Lucius and stuff. I think [the series] is really brilliant. I can’t wait to bring it to the screen."
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
Harry Potter 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.
HBO's Harry Potter TV series premieres in 2027.