Harry Potter, Hermoine Granger, and Ronald Weasley will reportedly return on HBO Max. The inevitable day has finally come: Warner Bros is rumored to be rebooting the Harry Potter series. Not for the big screen, though, but for HBO Max. J.K. Rowling’s iconic characters could be getting their very own television series. A Harry Potter television show was always inevitable, but now, it could be a done deal.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is reportedly in early development. The studio has apparently already met with writers about bringing the magical world of Harry Potter to HBO Max, which no doubt, will make the streaming service even bigger after an already big year. Warner Bros., for example, recently announced that all of its major 2021 releases will be coming to the streaming service the same day they’re released in theaters.
There is no showrunner, no writers, and of course, no cast yet. Warner Bros. is playing coy at the moment and refused to confirm the news. “There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” HBO Max and Warner Bros. reaffirmed in a statement to THR.
The studio has been working to continue expanding the magical world despite the mixed success of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. As for Rowling, she still controls the rights to the property. Potter fans have been saddened by her anti-trans comments, though, which could likely dampen the excitement on any new announcements regarding the franchise. The property remains beloved, but Rowling, sadly, does not. The author can approve or deny any plans Warner Bros. has for the property.
The property is a golden goose for Warner Bros. The seven-film series made over $7 billion worldwide and remains beloved among audiences and fans. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter parks, based at Universal Studios, remains a popular attraction. Despite Rowling’s offensive comments over the last few years, her characters and stories remain deeply entertaining and meaningful to fans. There is plenty of gas left in the tank for the Potter franchise, despite the declining success and interest in the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
A Harry Potter show doesn’t only make financial but creative success. Those books are gigantic in scope. There are plenty of more stories to tell from the original source material. The bigger those books got, the less the movies could show. The films were faithful, but they could only cover so much ground. With a television show, fans could see more fan-favorite characters and moments missing from the feature films. It could be great.
For a series, each season could easily cover a book or beyond. It’s easy to imagine seven rich seasons of Harry Potter on HBO Max. HBO Max features Game of Thrones and HBO’s most beloved juggernauts shows, but it doesn’t have an original series yet for fans to obsess over. A Harry Potter television show could be HBO Max’s response to The Mandalorian. The streaming service is nowhere near Disney+’s level of membership and success, but with a Harry Potter television show, Warner Bros. could turn their new platform into a major player in the streaming world.
