Grab your owl, cat or toad – Warner Bros. Discovery is currently working on a brand new series based on the story of Harry Potter, which will be coming to Max, HBO’s exclusive streaming service.
But what do we know about this new magical show? We’ve done the digging, so you don’t have to.
Harry Potter HBO and Max series release date
HBO originally announced that it would release the Harry Potter series in 2026. That was according to Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav (via The Hollywood Reporter), who met with J.K. Rowling to discuss the show.
However, in September Casey Bloys, CEO and Chairman of HBO and Max, confirmed to Deadline that it was too early to give a confirmed release date, but it was looking likely that it would be late 2026 or even 2027.
Director Mark Mylod, who also worked on Succession, has started on the project, as have the writers. Variety has now confirmed that filming is aiming to kick off in summer 2025, with auditions for Harry, Ron and Hermione currently being reviewed.
Production will be at Leavesdon, the same place the movies were filmed. This could indicate that some sets and props will be reused, as these have been preserved for the Studio Tour.
There will be over a decade of content, providing that the show is successfully renewed year on year.
Harry Potter Max series cast and crew
The first six cast members have been confirmed, many of which were rumoured for several months now.
They are all Hogwarts professors, and are as follows:
John Lithgow – Albus Dumbledore
Janet McTeer – Minerva McGonagall
Paapa Essiedu – Severus Snape
Nick Frost – Rubeus Hagrid
Luke Thallon – Quirinus Quirrell
Paul Whitehouse – Argus Filch
The actor portraying the Headmaster of Hogwarts, John Lithgow, has starred in The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment, Footloose, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Dexter and The Crown… though many millennials will recognise him as the voice of Lord Farquaad from Shrek.
Janet McTeer will play Minerva McGonagall, and is best known for Ozark, Kaos, Albert Nobbs, The Menu and Woman in Black.
Severus Snape actor Paapa Essiedu is known for I May Destroy You, Gangs of London and The Lazarus Project.
Nick Frost has been cast as Rubeus Hagrid, and is best known for Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and most recently the Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew.
Paul Whitehouse plays the iconic Argus Filch, and most people will know him as one half of the comedy duo Harry & Paul. Luke Thallon is the least known name of the bunch, coming from a predominantly theatre background that makes him an ideal candidate for Quirrell.
An open casting call was put on social media for Harry, Ron and Hermione. They must be aged 9-11 in April 2025, and be based in the UK or Ireland. Variety confirmed that over 32,000 children auditioned, and the tapes are currently being whittled down.
Warner also claims that they are committed to inclusive, diverse casting… regardless of ethnicity, disability, race, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis protected by law.
The Hollywood Reporter interviewed HBO executive Sarah Aubrey who made it clear that the show isn’t looking for returning performers from the movies:
“Yeah, I think it’s a dream job for a lot of actors in the U.K. But the roles that we’re casting right now are for people who are going to be on the show for a decade, so that’s also a very particular gig. But the commitment is to make the books, and that’s what it could be. But there are interesting people raising their hands to be the featured adult actors that come on in later seasons, like the Sirius Blacks of the world.
So, it’s been very, very fun, but we don’t want to repeat people that were in the movies. And it’s always a little nerve-wracking because people so associate those roles with certain actors, but I also think because it’s going to be eight hours of TV, we’re going to immerse them in a different actor’s performance.”
Many fans have been fan-casting Tom Felton as Lucius Malfoy, but that comment seems to imply that any actors will be new additions.
Francesca Gardiner has been named as the showrunner and an executive producer. She has previously worked on Succession and His Dark Materials.
She’s not the only HBO heavyweight joining the show. Mark Mylod is onboard as an executive producer and director, a fellow alumni of Succession, with work also on Game of Thrones and The Last of Us.
We also know that J.K. Rowling is on board as an executive producer. This news has received lots of backlash due to the author’s transphobic views. She will be joined by Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
No former Harry Potter actors have been confirmed to return as of yet.
Harry Potter HBO Max plot
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed that the new series will dive deep into the original story covered in all seven books. The show will be told across ten years, so may be more than seven seasons long, defying the long-standing rumours of having one season per book.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Here is the official statement from Warner on the new show:
“The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for. 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.”
This means that fans could expect to see characters and plot points that weren’t explored in the films, such as Peeves, S.P.E.W and the Marauders backstory.
The casting call for the Golden Trio confirms that shooting will be in the UK, which was expected.
How to watch the new Harry Potter series
The show is being developed for Max, HBO’s streaming service that is available in the US, as well as Latin America and parts of Europe. In America, prices start from $9.99 per month for ad-supported content.
There is no Max here in the UK – most shows are syndicated on Sky and Now. However, by the time this show releases, Max may have expanded internationally. Either way, we would expect a UK release to be on the cards, considering the British heritage of this franchise.
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