Harry Potter HBO Series Just Dropped the Update Book Fans Have Been Waiting For
HBO Max is moving its Harry Potter series forward, as head of original content Sarah Aubrey used Content London to tease fresh progress and an adaptation aimed squarely at book fans.
HBO just nudged the curtain back on its Harry Potter series, and the takeaway is simple: they want you to feel like you are watching the books, not a remix of the movies. That is the line they are selling, and honestly, it sounds like they are committing to it.
What HBO said
At a Content London panel this week, Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, talked up the show in a rare on-the-record update. The pitch is very much book-first, UK-led, and made by people who live and breathe this world.
"I just keep thinking, it is such a delightful adaptation of the books. And I think when people watch it, they will think, 'These are the books.' It is created by a British writer, it is directed by a British filmmaker and its craftspeople are the best that this country has to offer. I am so excited for everyone to see it."
Who is making it
The series is written by Emmy winner Francesca Gardiner (Killing Eve, Succession). She is executive producing alongside Mark Mylod, J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, and long-time Potter producer David Heyman. Mylod, who has previously worked with HBO on Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, will direct multiple episodes. Production is through HBO in association with Bronte Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. In other words: very British creative spine, with HBO-scale backing.
The cast (so far)
And yes, the casting is bold in a few places. Case in point: John Lithgow as Dumbledore. Here is who is playing who:
- Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter
- Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger
- Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley
- John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
- Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall
- Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
- Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
- Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
- Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch
- Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley
- Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy
- Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy
- Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan
- Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil
- Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown
- Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley
- Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley
- Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge
What to expect
Based on Aubrey's comments, the show is aiming for a straight-from-the-page approach, with a British writer and director steering and UK department heads across the board. No premiere date or footage was shared in these remarks, but the message is clear: this is designed for readers who have been waiting for a version that does not have to speed-run the chapters.