Max officially announces their Harry Potter redux.
While news only leaked last week, Max (the rebranded HBO/Discovery+ streaming service) have announced their Harry Potter television series.
It plans to retell the whole Hogwarts saga with the press release referencing a “decade-long” adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s seven book series.
We’re told the “… series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
Naturally, this will involve the recasting of all the principal roles but the promo leans into the franchise’s history with its familiar music and imagery.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content said:
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way. 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.”
Author J.K. Rowling adds:
“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series.”
The show comes from Max, in association with J.K. Rowling’s Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. The executive producers are J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts. The Harry Potter movie producer David Heyman is currently in talks to executive produce too.
Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly now on the lookout for a writer/showrunner for the project.
We’ll keep you posted on the Harry Potter television series as more details emerge.