HARRY POTTER TV Series Coming To Max Streaming Service; Will Play Out Across A Decade With New Cast

HARRY POTTER TV Series Coming To Max Streaming Service; Will Play Out Across A Decade With New Cast

The Harry Potter franchise is being rebooted for television, with an "authentic," decade-long take on J.K. Rowling's novels coming to the Max streaming service in the near future. Read on for details...

News
By JoshWilding - Apr 13, 2023 10:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Harry Potter
Source: SFFGazette.com

Warner Bros. has officially rebranded HBO Max as Max and perhaps the biggest announcement (first shared on SFFGazette.com) is that the streamer has ordered an original Harry Potter scripted television series. 

Rumours about these plans have persisted for months, and it's said that the show will deliver a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer, J.K. Rowling. From Warner Bros. Television, the new Max Original series will be available on Max in the U.S. and globally once produced.

The stories from each of Rowling's Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series (which presumably means we're getting a total of 10 seasons in order to do the longer books justice) 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.

The press release states that each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world. The original, classic and beloved films, meanwhile, will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally. 

"We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way," Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content, said today. "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."

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."

J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts will executive produce this Harry Potter TV series, while franchise veteran David Heyman is currently in talks to take on the same role. 

It's exciting to think that we're getting a new take on Harry Potter, especially when those original movies are so iconic. With any luck, we'll learn more about what to expect soon (including how this adaptation will differ from the last one). 

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WakandanQueen
WakandanQueen - 4/13/2023, 10:02 AM
This is giving Disney "live action" remake PTSD.
FilmGuy7878
FilmGuy7878 - 4/13/2023, 10:03 AM
@WakandanQueen - I'm having a scarring flashback to the Lion King right now.
Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 4/13/2023, 10:15 AM
@WakandanQueen - I am oddly anticipating this. I never read the books and only saw a couple of the original movies. They never really "clicked" with me for some reason (maybe I was already too old for the target market). But now that I have kids, I think this sounds like a great idea. Especially if they are different enough from the movies. How accurately did the original movies adapt the books? Was there a lot of changes and omissions?
Goldboink
Goldboink - 4/13/2023, 10:32 AM
@Shivermetimbers -
The first two books are more geared towards children but by the third book she leaves that behind and they are exceptionally well written. By the end of the run, when she was uber rich and famous, she did get a little long winded and the 350 pages expanded to 550 pages. Some editing may have helped but I bought the last book the morning it came out and read it straight through, having to call in late to work that Monday.

Done properly it will be very good.
globaltravels
globaltravels - 4/13/2023, 1:11 PM
@WakandanQueen - now they get to race swap an entire ginger family 😂😂😂 a logical conclusion
Boycee
Boycee - 4/13/2023, 7:01 PM
@globaltravels - Touch grass, triggered neckbeard
MrDandy
MrDandy - 4/13/2023, 10:03 AM
What a stupid idea. The original series is not even that old. Just make an original story set at Hogwarts with a new cast. This feels completely creatively bankrupt.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 4/13/2023, 10:12 AM
@MrDandy - They’re old now. Anybody that grew up on the originals are already well into their 20s. This gives the current and next generation the chance to grow up with Harry Potter, and the studio the opportunity to develop a more faithful adaptation on a different platform.
IronGenesis
IronGenesis - 4/13/2023, 10:12 AM
@MrDandy - to a 5 year old the original films are ancient. Don’t they deserve an opportunity to experience these stories thru the lens of their own generation?
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 4/13/2023, 10:18 AM
@MrDandy -


WB discovery stock fell 6% after all their announcements yesterday. Alot of people think this is a stupid idea too🤨...



Should've just released that penguin trailer🔥
AmazingFILMporg
AmazingFILMporg - 4/13/2023, 10:20 AM
@PlusUltra -


If the new cast were in a new movie 100% it would've been a 1.5 billion dollar film at the very least.


Imagine the old cast mixed in with a new young cast....


NWH money foshow🤝
JonAwesome
JonAwesome - 4/13/2023, 10:22 AM
@MrDandy - just do a Marauders prequel series/movies.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 4/13/2023, 10:28 AM
@AmazingFILMporg - For me, it’s letting another generation grow up with the series from a fresh perspective. Harry Potter isn’t Star Wars. The books are the source material, not the original movies.
MrDandy
MrDandy - 4/13/2023, 11:23 AM
@PlusUltra -
@IronGenesis

They can still experience the story. It’s called picking up a book.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 4/13/2023, 11:30 AM
@MrDandy - Or they could watch the new series that better adapts said books. Why don’t you let another generation experience what you did without being so uppity about it.
Origame
Origame - 4/13/2023, 11:55 AM
@MrDandy - I was 11 when the first movies came out.

I'm 33 now.

I'd say that's plenty of time.

But I do agree. We need more original products.
Taonrey
Taonrey - 4/13/2023, 4:00 PM
@MrDandy - yeah a new 7 year story with a new cast should have happened years ago, I'm honestly surprised HBO hasn't done one yet. Disney world have made about 5 of them by now.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/13/2023, 10:06 AM
This seems unnecessary. There is a possibility it could be good, but with how the movies are not that old, and have built the visual and auditory standards for the universe, it seems like there is a big chance this adaptation is going to face an uphill battle.

Are they going with a new look for Hogwarts and the other locations? If not, it’ll be compared. All media, and Universal Studios, have built the look based on the movies.

The music from the movies, like Hedwig’s Theme, are associated across the world with Harry Potter. Are they going to do the Star Wars thing and just keep it across multiple adaptations? If they do something new it’ll be compared.

Most of the casting of the movies is considered to be well done. How will they top Rickman as Snape? Smith as McGonnagal? All of the main kids?

Like I said this might be good. But it really has a huge hill to climb.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 4/13/2023, 10:11 AM
@mountainman - Rowling may have to break her only english actors rule. and cast Adam Driver as Snape, all the adults were too old in the original compared to the books so he's about the right age.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/13/2023, 10:13 AM
@Chaos200 - Wow I like that choice. I know she had said she wants to keep with the only British actors standard again. I do get it to an extent, but it severely limits options.
UniqNo
UniqNo - 4/13/2023, 10:27 AM
@mountainman - I agree, i think if they really want to put harry potter on the small screen then maybe adapt the cursed child. The actors have aged up quite well and they can bring in fresh talents with the kids and some great call backs. The only one i can think of that may need a recast is Hagrid as Snape and Dumbledoor are dead.

That will get so much more attention, high increase in streams (and piracy) than the rehash. They can easily stretch that for 3 seasons.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 4/13/2023, 10:32 AM
@mountainman - Would also be smart to cast Jared Harris (Original Dumbledore, Richard Harris' son) to play Dumbledore. He's already worked with HBO before on Chernobyl.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 4/13/2023, 10:35 AM
@UniqNo - Allegedly that was the original plan but Radcliffe and Watson are refusing to play ball because they'd rather cater to some extremist randos on Twitter than the woman who they have a personal relationship with and arguably gave them their career.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 4/13/2023, 10:39 AM
@mountainman - the books are so much more detailed than those movies ever were. They skipped over so much of the lore
mountainman
mountainman - 4/13/2023, 10:40 AM
@Chaos200 - To me Dumbledore is the easiest recasting, simply due to the fact that it already happened once and he is pretty stoic and many actors can play that part. I would 100% be down for Richard Harris. The hardest recarstings to get right would be Snape, McGonnagal, Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Luna.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/13/2023, 10:41 AM
@MyCoolYoung - Oh I know I’ve read them. Some great B plots and side characters that didn’t get love in the movies. But if you do subplots and side characters better but miss some of the core stuff, I don’t think it would please the fan base.
UniqNo
UniqNo - 4/13/2023, 10:45 AM
@Chaos200 - I guess that's plausible, especially with what Radcliffe has been saying recently about the kids.

But they can always be revisit it, the good thing about playing the grownups is that they can really do it within the next 30 years or so. Whenever they decide to do it they can do a big marketing push with rereleasing all the old movies or sell them to normal tv stations etc. There's so much that they can tap into to get the awareness out there before they eventually drop the Cursed Child series. And it will cost them hardly anything as all that stuff if pre established.

But maybe this is their plan long term. Establish a new cast and then reuse them 20 years ago the series is finished. Waste of money to dilute their properties instead of enriching.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 4/13/2023, 10:46 AM
@mountainman - Emma Thompson could be good for McGonnagal if we're not against recasting actors from the original series and new characters lol She played Sybil Trelawney in the films.
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 4/13/2023, 10:50 AM
@mountainman - but they're doing it over a whole decade plus it's a series. I don't think they should miss anything, but we'll see
mountainman
mountainman - 4/13/2023, 10:51 AM
@Chaos200 - Emma Thompson is a great actress but Dame Maggie Smith IS MacGonnagal as much as Alan Rickman IS Snape. They could cast the best actors possible for those roles and it will still be an uphill climb for them.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 4/13/2023, 10:54 AM
@mountainman - Oh yeah no one is disputing that but we're here now. Ima have fun with the casting until HBO announce Kenny from Cobra Kai as Harry Potter then I'm out lol
globaltravels
globaltravels - 4/13/2023, 1:13 PM
@Chaos200 - Jared harris would make a great dumbledore. In fact he actually looks a lot like an older Jude Law, more than the other guy
JFerguson
JFerguson - 4/13/2023, 10:09 AM
so stupid. unless they plan on giving us a harry potter multiverse, there's no point in doing this. Also, will this mean future spin-offs are tied to this series now rather than the original movies?

Plus the new cast is gonna have tough shoes to fill
Origame
Origame - 4/13/2023, 11:58 AM
@JFerguson - actually there is some point in it as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson won't work with jk again after her "controversy".
globaltravels
globaltravels - 4/13/2023, 1:15 PM
@Origame - they stupidly doubled down on their “stance” against her and now it’s far too late to repair the damage they’ve done sadly. She’s had nothing but good things to say about them
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 4/13/2023, 4:52 PM
@globaltravels - of course she has, they have done nothing wrong.
Gizmoduck
Gizmoduck - 4/13/2023, 6:16 PM
@Razorface1 - Neither has JKR and her IP made them worldwide names and put millions into their pockets. They should be grateful and listen to what she actually says not jump on the smooth brain bandwagon
Razorface1
Razorface1 - 4/13/2023, 8:08 PM
@Gizmoduck - "Smooth brain bandwagon" Oh, got it. You agree with her.
r4dagast
r4dagast - 4/13/2023, 10:09 AM
I would like this done with the eventual lord of the rings remake, but at least not for another 5-10 years, I’ve read the books multiple times and as amazing as the movies are they had to leave SO much out. I’ve only seen each Harry Potter movie once and never really got hooked on it, I’ve also never read the books so I don’t know how much was omitted, I’ll probably give this a watch though
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/13/2023, 10:10 AM
@r4dagast - that is a great example as well. I'm kinda glad they announced a couple of original movies set in Middle-Earth though, so for now I don't think we have to expect a Lord of the Rings reboot.
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