HBO's 'Harry Potter' Series Might Not Arrive For A Very Long Time

"Harry Potter" fans might have to wait several years for HBO's upcoming series.

The entertainment powerhouse shocked and stunned people in 2023 when it announced it was making a series based on the legendary books from J.K. Rowling.

The film franchise is one of the most successful in entertainment history, and HBO will now attempt to cash in on the same magic - no pun intended. Add in the fact Rowling is expected to have a prominent role, and it's not hard to understand why the hype is off the charts. You'd have to be crazy to not be excited.

A TV series with every season covering one of the seven books? Yeah, you can sign me up ASAP. Take the Max streaming fees out of my wallet right now.

"Harry Potter" HBO series not expected to arrive in the near future.

However, fans have been left wondering one simple thing:

When will the series premiere?

Unfortunately, it sounds like fans are in for a very long wait.

When will HBO's "Harry Potter" series premiere? (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Deadline recently reported that the series might not arrive until as late as 2026. That's two years away! The outlet did report it could perhaps air in 2025, but seeing as how there's no cast and it's unclear who is writing it, I find it hard to believe it will show up by next year.

Deadline's timeline seems to match up with some comments from Warner Bros. TV Group chairman Channing Dungey in late January.

"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. 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," Dungey told Variety when explaining where the process is at.

Translation: It's going to be a long wait. I suggest getting comfortable.

HBO is releasing a "Harry Potter" series. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Will the original "Harry Potter" cast return?

Another big question fans have is whether any members of the original cast will return. It's pretty much impossible for that to happen given the core three - Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson - are all now in their 30s. Kind of hard to bring them back at this age, and HBO might want a fresh start anyway.

All I hope for is that the casting isn't some kind of woke joke where the characters are completely changed from the books. The reason the movies were so exceptional is because they were very close to the books. Perfect? No, but we're talking about movies compared to massive novels. Things had to be trimmed down.

There's a lot more time in a TV show for things to be explained. Dive into the nitty, gritty details, and let's roll.

What are your expectations for HBO's "Harry Potter" series? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.