More “Harry Potter” is coming from Warner Bros., as the studio revealed last Spring. But don’t expect it to reach Max for another couple of years. Deadline reports that WBD CEO David Zaslav revealed the premiere window for the series reboot of the “Harry Potter” franchise on a Q4 earning call this morning. The target? Sometime in 2026.
That’s a broad guess on Zaslav’s part, but it does presuppose that the upcoming series is in active development, and maybe further along than people realize. The Max-exclusive reboot will span seven seasons, one for each book, of J.K. Rowling‘s fantasy book series. “We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter,” Zaslav said on the earning calls.
The CEO also stated that he met with Rowling, along with HBO and Max content boss Casey Bloys and Warner Bros. Television chair Channing Dungey about the show in London a few weeks ago. “We spent some real time with J.K. and her team,” Zaslav continued. “Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead. We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max.”
There’s not much to go on in Zaslav’s vague comments, other than the studio looking at the reboot as one of its most significant properties moving forward. In the show’s first announcement last year, Warner Bros. plans for the series to run for a decade, with an all-new cast. But some “Harry Potter” fans are up in arms about Rowling’s involvement in the series, citing her controversial views on transgenderism as a reason for Zaslav and co. to stay away. Here’s Rowling’s blurb about the new Max series from last April: “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.”
Dungey talked to Variety late last year about progress on the “Harry Potter” reboot, particularly about who will serve as showrunner. “We’re in conversations with a number of different writers to figure out who’s going to be the person to lead that franchise for us,” Dungey told the outlet. “The first step for us is figuring out who this showrunner is going to be and once we get that locked down, then we can start having those [casting] conversations. The tricky part is the first two books, where the kids are on the younger end, around 11 or 12.” Several big names are in the mix to lead the series creatively, including “Succession” writer Francesca Gardiner. But an official decision hasn’t been made yet, so don’t believe any rumors.
And don’t believe rumors that the new series has started casting either. Dungey shot down that notion to Variety, and so did the first Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe. When asked about the reboot last summer, he told Variety that he’s “definitely not seeking it out in any way.”
Meanwhile, expect Rowling’s involvement to continue to bring bad press to the reboot. Rowling couldn’t care less, though. “Activists in my mentions are trying to organize yet another boycott of my work, this time of the ‘Harry Potter’ TV show. As forewarned is forearmed, I’ve taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne,” Rowling wrote on X (Twitter) shortly after the show’s announcement last Spring. The novelist’s participation creatively on the series will surely be a node of dispute over the next decade-plus.
Next to the new DCU, the “Harry Potter” reboot series is probably the biggest upcoming project at Warner Bros. Let’s see how it works for them as the show finds its focus creatively.
