Slowly but Surely: Harry Potter Reboot Is Underway on Max

Summary

• Harry Potter remains one of the most popular franchises in the world.
• Warner Bros. is adapting the film series into a TV show.
• The studio is currently reviewing pitches for the reboot.
• J.K. Rowling's involvement in the making of the show is not specified.

After the decline of the early 2020s brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the film and TV industry has largely shifted its priorities to producing failure-proof projects, meaning it's much more reliant on expanding popular franchises rather than giving way to brand-new movies and shows.

With this in mind, it is no surprise that many fan-favorite film franchises are currently being rebooted, with the Harry Potter saga being a prime example of this trend.

First released in 2001, Harry Potter quickly established itself as one of the most popular franchises in the world, with legions of fans of all ages. Based on J.K. Rowling's book series of the same name, the eight-part film series followed the titular character as he learned the ways of wizardry and saved the world from an evil tyrant wizard. And now, the $8 billion Warner Bros. franchise is being adapted into a 10-season show for the studio's streaming service, Max.

What Stage Is the Harry Potter Reboot In?

In early 2023, it was rumored that Max was working on a Harry Potter reboot that would completely reimagine the existing franchise and adapt it into a new show over the course of ten years.

But as exciting as the news was, it was quickly overshadowed by a number of other media sensations, including the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Since it's been almost a year since the first rumor, fans of the franchise are naturally eager to hear what has become of the potential Max show.

Reportedly, nothing is definite yet, as Max is still looking at pitches from several writers. Rumor has it that among the writers vying for the right to adapt J.K. Rowling's novels for TV are Tom Moran (The Devil's Hour), Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters), Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) and Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom).

Is J.K. Rowling Involved in the Show's Production?

At this time, it's not clear how involved the Harry Potter author is in the production of the reboot. J.K. Rowling is expected to serve as an executive producer on the show, so she will most likely be involved in decision-making – especially when it comes to the script.

In addition, Max's reboot will be produced by Brontë Film and TV – the studio headed by Rowling's agent Neil Blair, who will also serve as an EP on the show. Other than that, there has been no news of the author's involvement in the creation of the TV adaptation. Whoever writes the script will hopefully do justice to the legacy of the original Harry Potter.