Harry Potter TV series: release date speculation and cast news
The TV series will be based on all seven books about the boy wizard.
A Harry Potter TV series is officially moving forward at Max, the streaming service previously known as HBO Max – and the search for a new Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger is on!
Casting for the new series is set to kick off in the next nine months, according to The Times, with Hero Talent Group founder Nicole Tasker telling the publication that a handful of actors will be picked through open calls.
She said: "The casting team will do open calls on social media, go to local drama groups and contact all the child agencies. It used to just be the big drama schools, but everything is more open now."
However, there is of course already a rumoured cast list doing the rounds (read more on this below).
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav unveiled the new service, which combines the original HBO Max with discovery+, along with the new series based on author JK Rowling’s books last Wednesday (12th April), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Each season of the new live-action series will be an adaptation of each of the seven books, with a brand new cast playing the beloved characters.
A statement from the newly branded Max explained: “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. 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."
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It continued: “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.”
Rowling will executive produce the series, alongside Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts, while David Heyman, who executive produced all eight of the Harry Potter feature movies (released between 2001 and 2011) is also in discussions to executive produce, per The Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” said Rowling in a statement.
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So, when can we expect the series to land and who could star? Read on for everything we know so far.
Harry Potter TV series cast rumours: who could star?
Despite reports that a handful of actors will be picked through open calls, a rumoured cast list for the reboot has already sent the internet into a frenzy.
British actor Toby Woolf is rumoured to be taking over from Daniel Radcliffe as the newest Harry Potter. The actor previously appeared in Billie Piper’s film Rare Beasts. Other TV credits include The Last Post and Pistol.
Meanwhile, British actress Bronte Carmichael (Andor, Game of Thrones, Great Expectations) is rumoured to be taking over from Emma Watson as Hermione, while Joshua Pickering (Peter Pan and Wendy, A Discovery of Witches) is rumoured to be the next Ron Weasley.
In addition, Draco Malfoy himself Tom Felton (The Flash) is apparently set to return to the franchise as Lucius Malfoy, his original character’s father, while Adam Driver is apparently taking over from the late, great Alan Rickman as Snape.
Will Felton and Driver really be on board for the 10-year project? We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, Helen Mirren is being tipped to play Minerva McGonagall, while Blair Underwood is being tipped to portray Albus Dumbledore.
But these are just rumours at this point, and fans will have to wait for more information.
Those hoping for returns from the film franchise’s stars such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint, there could always be flash forwards in the new series to create space for their comebacks.
There's no word on this yet either, however, and fans will have to wait for more details to be announced.
At the moment, Max is focusing on searching for a showrunner.
“We have been trying to be very close to the vest,” said Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content. “We haven’t gone out to agencies. We have our own internal process where we’ve been thinking about people but we have not wanted to go out into the world. Now that the news is out there… we’ll start going out to the business.”
Harry Potter TV series release date speculation
The new Harry Potter TV series is expected to arrive in 2025/26, so fans will have quite a while to wait.
However, with Warner Bros Discovery revamping its streaming service, the company will probably be keen to get the new show on the platform as soon as possible.
Rumblings of a Harry Potter TV series have been around since 2021, and while confirmation of the project is welcome news to many, Rowling’s views on transgender rights have turned some fans away from the beloved series in recent years.
The author was absent from the 20-year anniversary special of the Harry Potter movies, while there were also boycotts of the Hogwars Legacy game by many.
What is the Harry Potter TV series about?
The series will be based on all seven books in the series published between 1997 and 2007.
“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,” said Bloys, which he also said would be “a faithful adaptation".
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