HBO Announces Major 'Harry Potter' Series Update
The wheels are turning on HBO's upcoming "Harry Potter" series.
There's been a lot of chatter and speculation about the series ever since HBO officially announced it was happening back in 2023.
The target date for a release is at some point in 2026, and details surrounding the series have been kept under wraps. Little to no information is publicly available. What is known is that J.K. Rowling will be involved, the original cast won't be and every book is likely to be covered by a single season. Other than that, good luck finding out what tricks HBO might have up its sleeve.
HBO official announces update on upcoming "Harry Potter" series.
While information is very limited, fans finally have a new update for the first time in a very long time, and it's a positive one.
Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group Channing Dungey spoke about the series' status at MIPCOM‘s C-Suite Conversations, and things are definitely advancing.
"There’s not a lot to talk about at this moment. We’ve got our fantastic writing staff in place and they are doing what they need to do. And casting calls have opened up in the U.K. and Ireland, so the process is moving along. It’s going quite well," Dungey explained, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It was the comments that followed that have really sparked interest online:
The series will go much deeper than the eight blockbuster hit films.
"It’s an unbelievable dream, honestly, and as somebody who is a huge fan of books, the opportunity to get to explore them in maybe a little bit more in-depth than you can in just a two-hour film, that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey," she further explained.
It's the second part of her comments that should be music to the ears of "Harry Potter" fans. The eight movies were all great, and did a great job of covering the books written by Rowling.
However, there's only so much you can squeeze into a two-hour window. Things have to be cut and altered when turning a book into a movie. That's why it was a very smart idea to break up "Deathly Hallows" into two movies instead of trying to make it work in one. That would have been a disaster that left way too much on the cutting room floor.
Instead of getting a two-hour window, fans will now get presumably eight to ten episodes per season covering Harry, Ron and Hermione's journey at Hogwarts. That means next to nothing needs to be left out to save time.
HBO is releasing a Harry Potter series. It's expected to arrive in 2026. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
On a side note, it really does seem to be the perfect time to watch the movies for the 100th time. The weather is cooling down, fall is here and nothing gets the blood pumping like a nice little "Harry Potter" marathon with the fiancée. It's the best option until we get the series from HBO. Are you excited for the series or do you have a favorite Potter film? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.