Back in April of this year, HBO announced plans for a live-action television reboot of the Harry Potter film series, which is of course, based on the popular fantasy book series by author J.K. Rowling. It was also revealed that the upcoming reboot will feature an all-new cast.
At the time of the announcement, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content stated, "Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years."
Each season will apparently be based on one of Rowling's seven novels published between 1997 and 2007, delivering a more exhaustive exploration of the Harry Potter world than individual films could provide.
Recently, producer David Heyman (who also produced all of the Harry Potter films) has provided an update on the TV series to Total Film Magazine.
"[On Harry Potter] It’s early days. We haven’t even hired a writer to begin writing. It’s a bit early. But hopefully [it will be] something that’s very special, and gives us an opportunity to see the books, and to enjoy a series which explores the books more deeply."
It appears that the television series is still a long way off, much to the relief of HP fans who fear the reboot is coming far too soon.
These fans are likely struggling to grasp the concept of someone other than Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson playing the Golden Trio
Of course, with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the series would only be able to hire a showrunner or directors unless HBO is planning to fill out the new cast exclusively with Equity talent, which is the UK's equivalent of the American guild.
The last Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, was released in 2011 but the film series has successfully endured over the years, consistently outperforming comparable franchises in the home video and streaming markets.
In regards to Rowling, who has come under fire in recent years for her views that trans women are not women and trans men are not men, it seems the author will be involved as an executive producer, but she won't be one of the primary showrunners or have significant creative input beyond casting decisions.
Recently, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav stated that he believes the company has underutilized IPs such as DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.
The TV reboot could be the first in a series of new Potter-related projects developed for television, films, video games, and other media.
Speculation is already running rampant that the Broadway play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be the next piece of literature adapted for cinema, reuniting the the original Harry Potter cast.