HBO's Harry Potter Series: Release Date, Cast & Everything We Know So Far
Production of the new Harry Potter series is gaining momentum. We'll tell you everything we know about the upcoming project.
HBO has begun developing a new, large-scale series based on the Harry Potter universe. This series promises to be a more detailed adaptation of J.K. Rowling's books.
Why Is the Harry Potter Series Worth Waiting For?
The producers have set an ambitious goal for the series: not only to retell the well-known story, but also to delve into much greater detail.
The format was chosen specifically for this purpose: each season will correspond to one book in the series. Thus, production of the new series could take ten years.
The upcoming series' creators promise a faithful adaptation with a modern filming approach. It's no secret that the visual effects of the first two Harry Potter movies look outdated compared to today's blockbusters.
Nevertheless, HBO faces serious challenges. Over the past 25 years, the original franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, raising more than one generation of children.
Harry Potter Series Creators
Francesca Gardiner, writer of His Dark Materials and consulting producer of Succession, has been appointed showrunner of the series. Mark Mylod, who also worked on Succession, will direct several episodes.
Gardiner and Mylod were chosen for their experience working with complex family dramas and multi-layered characters.
J.K. Rowling, the author of the original, has once again taken on the role of executive producer. Rowling still has creative control over any adaptations of the Harry Potter series – without her consent, the project would never move forward.
The "Golden Trio" Actors
By the end of May, the large-scale casting of the "Golden Trio" – Harry, Ron, and Hermione – had been completed. About 32,000 children from Great Britain took part in the casting.
The filming crew watched 500 to 1,000 audition recordings per day, paying special attention to how closely the young actors resembled the chosen characters.
Harry Potter will be played by Dominic McLaughlin, Ron Weasley by Alastair Stout, and Hermione Granger by Arabella Stanton.
Other New Cast Members
John Lithgow, an Emmy winner, was one of the first actors to be cast in the series. He will play Professor Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.
Janet McTeer has been cast as Minerva McGonagall, the new head of Gryffindor. Paapa Essiedu will play Severus Snape. Paul Whitehouse will play the grumpy caretaker Argus Filch and Nick Frost will play Hagrid. Luke Thallon will play Professor Quirrell.
Harry Potter Series Release Date
HBO had originally planned to release the series in 2026. However, in December 2024, Warner Bros. announced a more realistic release date of late 2027.
Given the series' scale, the complexity of the post-production process, and the special effects, this date seems more likely.