We’re officially returning to Hogwarts as Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirms J.K Rowling’s beloved book series is being adapted for the small screen.
“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,” Zaslav said at an announcement on Wednesday morning.
“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 25 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.”
The announcement also revealed streamers HBO Max and Discovery+ would be integrated into a new streaming platform called ‘Max’.
Since the release of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 over a decade ago, the Harry Potter universe has expanded to include The Fantastic Beasts movie series, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway and the Hogwarts Legacy video game.
Unlike these additions to the Potterverse, the TV series is set to closely follow the books—and more specifically, one book per season.
While a television series would presumably be able to dedicate more time to each of the seven books, it remains to be seen if Harry Potter movie fans are ready for a reboot of their beloved series.
For many fans, who grew up with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as the series’ trio, it might be hard to imagine anyone else taking on their iconic roles.
However, it does mean a new generation of young Harry Potter fans will have their own trio to identify with.
When Will The Harry Potter TV Series Be Released?
As the TV series has only just been confirmed, we’re expecting a late 2024 premiere date at the very earliest but this is still to be confirmed.
Rumours of a Harry Potter reboot first began in January 2021, before Discovery acquired Warner Media in 2022.
At the time, Bloomberg has reported that the “key to that strategy will be having new content, especially films and TV shows based on stories and characters that viewers already know.”
While Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav’s also said that he wanted to create more Harry Potter content in 2022.
“What are we doing with a lot of the big franchises that we have? We’re focused on franchises,” Zaslav’s said during the company’s Q3 earnings call.
Will JK Rowling Be Involved?
Yes, JK Rowling is the confirmed executive producer of the television series.
The author has stated, “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.”
In recent years, Rowling, has generated controversy with her comments about the trans community. The author was absent from the 20 year anniversary special of the Harry Potter films and there have been fierce boycotts of the Hogwarts Legacy game.
What Has The Harry Potter Cast Said About The Reboot?
At this stage, the Harry Potter cast hasn’t commented on the reboot.
However, Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the film adaptations, has previously told GQ that he would “love to see Harry Potter be adapted into a TV show.”
“I think it would really work. I’m sure the films will get remade, anyway,” he told the outlet.
Grint also commented on whether he would find it strange to see someone else play Ron, explaining, “I think there’d be a feeling of passing the baton, letting someone else play Ron. It’s weird because I’m protective over him, I could relate to him so much, and then I was picked to bring him to life. That’s hard to let go. But it would be nice to, as well.”
We’re excited to see who the next generation of young actors taking on these iconic characters will be.
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