While it doesn’t look like we’re getting a new Potterverse film anytime soon, there is development on the small-screen side of things that will see audiences possibly return to Hogwarts. As a report from Bloomberg claims that a “Harry Potter” reboot series is now in the early stages of development at HBO that seemingly is being tailored for their streaming service, HBO Max. The report suggests each season would tackle each of the seven ‘Potter’ novels, which could obviously mean they want to do seven seasons of the show.
Talk of a “Harry Potter” streaming series goes back to 2021, but this is the first time details have been dished. They state that HBO/WBD is expected to make the announcement next week. Author J.K. Rowling is said to be involved with the prospective Potterverse project, but won’t be the showrunner and her role isn’t exactly defined in the reporting. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated on an earnings call back in November (via Variety) that he was open to the idea of working with Rowling on more Potterverse content.
The first novel is “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone,” with the film adaptation directed by Chris Columbus and released in 2001. So, that first season is expected to be a reboot adaptation of the novel with a whole new group of kid actors and could introduce the franchise to a whole new generation.
In the normal human world–the world of “Muggles”–Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence. It is an acceptance letter to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Soon enough, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig and in the world of wizards, he is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him.
This series announcement comes after the Rowling-penned “Fantastic Beasts” spinoff franchise was supposedly scrapped/paused (as Zaslav stated no films were in development back in November) after the last two expensive entries kept making less money at the global box office than the original release. Rumblings of a film incarnation of her popular stage play “Harry Potter & The Cursed Child” hasn’t materialized that would have left the door open for the original cast to return as adults. Rowling was also surprisingly absent from the reunion special “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts” on HBO Max which celebrated the 20th anniversary in early 2022. All this happening in the wake of the main cast members countering the author’s bizarre transphobic stances/statements (Daniel Radcliffe recently hosted a trans youth roundtable for The Trevor Project).
With all this said, a creative team hasn’t been named and you’d need someone seasoned in the world of genre television to help reboot the wizarding franchise for streaming.