Production on HBO's Harry Potter TV series started earlier this week, and following our first look at both the Boy Wizard and Hagrid, we have a better idea of what to expect from this small screen adaptation of controversial author J.K. Rowling's iconic series of novels.
We've known for a while that HBO intends to adapt a book per season, but with the show's young leads set to grow up fast and so much more ground to cover than the movies, the cable network has a unique plan to counter them being aged out.
According to Redanian Intelligence (via SFFGazette.com), seasons 1 and 2 are expected to be six episodes each, with future seasons potentially expanding to 8 episodes to help cover those extra pages. The books ranged from 223 to 766 pages.
The site explains that the first season will shoot from now until May 2026, with season 2 set to similarly film from July 2026 to May 2027. Complicating matters are child labour laws, which mean kids can only be on set for a certain amount of time each day.
The site has also learned that "the first episode ends with the young students and Hagrid approaching the castle of Hogwarts on a boat for the first time." That means the premiere will cover Harry's life with the Dursleys, the moment he discovers he's a wizard, his first visit to Diagon Alley, and the trip on the Hogwarts Express (where he meets Ron and Hermione).
Also of note is the fact Voldemort—who will appear in this first season on the back of Professor Quirrell's head, and presumably in a flashback to the night Harry's parents were killed—has already been cast and will be in "several" episodes.
However, "HBO has no plans of announcing his casting and want to keep him secret until the season airs." You'll recall that the movies didn't cast Voldemort until Ralph Fiennes boarded the franchise in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
There's a lot to digest and get excited about here, and Harry Potter is certainly shaping up to be an intriguing new series. How necessary it is in the eyes of fans will boil down to whether it's able to do justice to the books in ways the movies often couldn't when limited to two-hour runtimes.
Dominic McLaughlin has been cast in the role of Harry Potter, with Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley. Joining them will be Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, and Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley.
Harry Potter's adult cast includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch.
Joining them will be Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander, and Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge.
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years.
The series 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 premieres on HBO in 2027.