UPDATED with newest: At its Max streaming occasion in April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed a brand new period is coming for Harry Potter followers. The corporate introduced a TV sequence primarily based on all seven books in regards to the boy wizard written by J.Okay. Rowling. See under for probably the most present solutions to an important questions in regards to the undertaking.
What’s the Harry Potter TV sequence about?
“This new Max Authentic sequence will dive deep into every of the enduring books that followers have continued to take pleasure in for all of those years,” mentioned Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content material in regards to the undertaking, which he additionally assured followers could be “a trustworthy adaptation.”
Early reviews had every season of the sequence specializing in one guide within the Harry Potter guide sequence, which consists of seven novels, however Bloys mentioned the undertaking would run for “10 consecutive years,” which would appear to defy the 1 season, 1 guide assertion. For individuals who say Improbable Beasts could possibly be leveraged to offer 10 seasons over 10 years, WBD brass mentioned particularly in the course of the announcement that FB won’t be part of the sequence.
Regardless of the case, Bloys promised that, as the corporate embarks on its new Harry Potter journey, “We accomplish that with the complete care and craft of this franchise.”
Who Is creating the Harry Potter sequence?
It has taken a bit, given the preliminary announcement was in April 2023, however in current months Warner Bros. invited a choose group of creatives in to pitch concepts for what the sequence could possibly be. They had been Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie. Now, the streaming service and Warner Bros. Tv have narrowed it to Jordan, Moran and newer addition Francesca Gardiner, sources mentioned.
Deadline broke the information final month that Succession author Francesca Gardiner is among the many finalists. Gardiner was a consulting producer on Seasons 3 and 4 of HBO’s Succession. Earlier than engaged on the Jesse Armstrong creation, she was an exec producer of HBO and BBC fantasy co-production His Darkish Supplies and was a co-exec producer of AMC’s Killing Eve. She has additionally written on reveals together with Starz’s The Rook and Amazon’s The Man In The Excessive Citadel.
Jordan created Netflix sequence Teenage Bounty Hunters. Jordan can also be working with the Orange Is The New Black streamer on The Decameron, which acquired a sequence order in 2022.
Tom Moran is a British author, who created Amazon sequence The Satan’s Hour, which starred Peter Capaldi. He additionally labored on Amazon sci-fi sequence The Feed and Rob Lowe cop drama Wild Invoice.
It’s an attention-grabbing mixture of Brits and People, most of whom have some expertise working with streamers and lots of of whom have shepherded tasks within the sci-fi/fantasy area.
We’ve heard that the group of writers had been commissioned by Max to create pitches for a sequence reflecting their tackle the IP. Rowling is known to be concerned on this pitching course of. The trio will be capable of hone in on their pitches for the subsequent couple of months, with a choice on who will get the job anticipated in June.
When will the Harry Potter sequence be launched?
The sequence is anticipated to be on air in 2026, in keeping with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
“We’ve not been shy about our pleasure round Harry Potter,” Zaslav advised Wall Avenue analysts on the corporate’s fourth-quarter earnings name. “I used to be in London just a few weeks in the past with Casey [Bloys, CEO of HBO] and Channing [Dungey, chairperson of Warner Bros Television] and we spent some actual time with JK and her crew,” he enthused. “Each side simply thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations had been nice.”
Given the outcomes on that earnings name, WBD wants Harry Potter’s magic sooner moderately than later.
Ditto J.Okay. Rowling, whose manufacturing firm posted a 74% drop in income in 2022. That rebounded considerably after the stage model of Harry Potter And The Cursed Little one proved to be a post-pandemic crowd pleaser. The writer acquired a $10.5 million paycheck for it in 2023.
The success of the stage present demonstrates that there’s nonetheless an urge for food for Hogwarts-related content material. Likewise the huge hit that’s Hogwarts Legacy, which grew to become the bestselling online game of 2023, shifting 22 million items. (That’s implausible, however for comparability Rowling’s seven bestselling Harry Potter books have moved 600M copies worldwide.)
At a Goldman Sachs convention final yr, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made identified the necessity for extra Hogwarts magic explicitly. Ignoring the Harry-less Improbable Beasts movies, the CEO insisted the boy wizard presents an enormous alternative, claiming that the IP has been “underused” of late.
“We haven’t completed something with Harry Potter for greater than a decade,” he mentioned, earlier than occurring to notice that when one examines the efficiency of Warner Bros. over the past 20 years with out accounting for it’s huge three — Potter, Lord of the Rings and DC — the corporate’s efficiency is “comparatively flat.”
Zaslav referred to as that kind of big-ticket IP “one of many huge differentiators of this firm.” And he appears to be relying on it to make an enormous distinction.
“While you put these franchises in, it’s the best-performing studio on the earth. We have to deploy our greatest capital, and we have to do it with the very best inventive individuals on the earth,” he mentioned.
Find out how to watch the sequence
It’s going to, in fact, be on Max as soon as the sequence is prepared. The service has three worth tiers: Max Advert Mild, which matches for $9.99 a month or $99.99 a yr and permits two concurrent streams; Max Advert Free might be priced at $15.99 a month, or $149.99 a yr, and also will enable two concurrent streams; and Max Final Advert Free which prices $19.99 a month, or $199.99 a yr, and permits entry to 4 concurrent streams.
As well as, WBD’s different present epic literary adaptation, Home of the Dragon, is offered not solely on the corporate’s streaming service, but additionally to cable subscribers on HBO. The Potter sequence will comply with swimsuit, in keeping with execs. So you probably have HBO by way of your cable supplier, you’re all set.
In the event you’re in Canada, WBD has struck a multi-year licensing settlement with Crave for the likes of Harry Potter, Recreation of Thrones, the DC Universe and HBO content material.
Which actors are starring within the sequence? Are any of the unique Harry Potter stars returning?
There might be new actors enjoying the sequence’ foremost characters, however nobody has been forged but. Warner Bros. TV Group Chairman Channing Dungey mentioned not too long ago that that casting will come after they discover a showrunner.
As for that, Warner Bros. could be very seemingly seeking to forged younger actors, on condition that they’re continuing by means of Rowling’s books so as. “The tough half is the primary two books, the place the children are on the youthful finish, round 11 or 12,” mentioned Dungey of the casting course of.
“Now we have been making an attempt to be very near the vest,” mentioned Bloys. “We haven’t gone out to businesses. Now we have our personal inner course of the place we’ve been occupied with individuals however we have now not wished to exit into the world. Now that the information is on the market…we’ll begin going out to the enterprise.”
As for a return of any of the movie franchise’s stars — like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson or Rupert Grint — by no means say by no means. It might definitely be a PR increase for the sequence and, whereas new actors might be forged within the major roles, there are at all times flashforwards or the at the moment en vogue multiverse plot ploy that would create area for extra acquainted faces within the sequence.
However Daniel Radcliffe has mentioned he’s fantastic with sitting on the sidelines.
“My understanding is that they’re making an attempt to very a lot begin recent and I’m positive whoever is making them will need to make their very own mark on it and doubtless not need to have to determine how one can get previous Harry to cameo on this someplace,” Radcliffe advised ComicBook.com. “So I’m undoubtedly not in search of it out in any method. However I do want them, clearly, all of the luck on the earth and I’m very excited to have that torch handed. However I don’t suppose it wants me to bodily move it.”
One other longtime Potter participant who seemingly received’t be concerned is David Yates, who directed the final 4 films, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) and Deathly Hallows Half One and Two (2010 and 2011). As well as, Yates took on the Potter spinoff Improbable Beasts trilogy. He says there was no dialog about his involvement with the sequence. And it feels like he’s pleased with that.
“Big affection and a beautiful group of individuals I labored with,” Yates advised Deadline. “However we haven’t had a dialog since we completed it.”
“It’s been about ‘Let’s simply park it, and be completed for some time,’” he mentioned of the Potter franchise.
“By no means say by no means, I’d say, however I’m enthusiastic about shifting on,” he mentioned.
Will J.Okay. Rowling be concerned within the new Harry Potter TV sequence?
Sure. A deal for J.Okay. Rowling’s involvement within the sequence had been the largest hurdle in its path to the display: The writer has inventive management over any exploitation of her work. That settlement was finalized in 2023.
Rowling and longtime confederates Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts are exec producing, so she is anticipated to be concerned within the decision-making on the sequence. David Heyman, who developed the movies, was talks to do the identical. Rowling’s Brontë Movie and TV is producing with Warner Bros. Tv. Brontë Movie and TV was based by Rowling and her literary agent, Neil Blair, in 2012.
“Max’s dedication to preserving the integrity of my books is necessary to me, and I’m trying ahead to being a part of this new adaptation which is able to enable for a level of depth and element solely afforded by an extended type tv sequence,” mentioned Rowling in a press release.
Since Warners launched its streaming service, there’s at all times been a objective to take advantage of Warners’ largest franchise for streaming. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav, taking the reigns after the merger final yr, met with Rowling a number of instances within the UK. He’s even spoken up in help of the writer, who has been concerned in an ongoing controversy over her feedback on transgender points. Requested in regards to the streaming occasion about these controversies, Bloys demurred.
“No, I don’t suppose that is the discussion board [to discuss that],” he mentioned. “That’s a really on-line dialog, very nuanced and sophisticated and never one thing we’re going to get into.”
“Our precedence is what’s on the display,” Bloys continued. “Clearly, the Harry Potter story is extremely affirmative and optimistic and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our precedence — what’s on display.”
As for a way shut the writer might be to the sequence, Bloys mentioned, “[Rowling] might be concerned. She’s an government producer on the present. Her insights are going to be useful on that.”
The writer’s involvement might show a hurdle to having the principals from the movies concerned within the sequence. Relations between Rowling, Radcliffe and Emma Watson can’t be nice, given the writer not too long ago mentioned she was “bloody indignant” over stances taken by trans rights activists, which she sees being in opposition to girls’s rights.
Rowling claimed that “hundreds are complicit, not simply medics, however the movie star mouthpieces, unquestioning media and cynical firms.” Requested particularly whether or not she would forgive Radcliffe and Watson for his or her unabashed pro-trans rights stance on the difficulty Rowling replied, “Celebs who cosied as much as a motion intent on eroding girls’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies.”
Bloys was clear, nevertheless, that WBD wasn’t totally depending on Rowling for the undertaking.
“The TV present is new and we’re enthusiastic about that. However, bear in mind, we’ve been within the Potter enterprise for 20 years. This isn’t a brand new resolution for us, we’re very snug being within the Potter enterprise.”
How a lot will the sequence value to provide?
“You realize we make reveals at this scale with Home of the Dragon, Recreation of Thrones,” mentioned Bloys. “I think about might be that scale or increased. The shorter reply is no matter it takes to make a top quality present.”
Per Deadline reporting, Home of the Dragon value practically $200 million and was the topic of HBO’s largest advertising marketing campaign ever, valued at over $100M in media spend (that’s a combo of advert spot worth and arduous money shelled out). So followers can count on the same outlay for the Potter sequence “or increased,” in keeping with HBO/Max boss Bloys.
Will there be different Harry Potter-related tasks?
“We’re free to do something we wish,” Zaslav has mentioned, earlier than hedging a bit. “Some areas we have to do with J.Okay., different areas we have now the complete capacity to go ahead. This can be a full deployment on Max of Harry Potter. We are able to nonetheless develop different properties.”
It’s unclear the place these boundaries lie, however it’s clear that Warner Bros. Discovery would love extra Potter. Since he took management of the merged firm, Zaslav has careworn a number of instances his deal with franchises, with mining the Harry Potter IP recognized as a high precedence.
Deadline understands that there may be a chance for greater than one of many above-mentioned writers to be concerned and that Max is open to the opportunity of growing a couple of concept primarily based on Harry Potter.
How lengthy has this been within the works?
Max and its then-parent firm WarnerMedia began exploring a possible Harry Potter TV sequence a few years in the past. On the time, Warner Bros. appointed Children, Younger Grownup and Classics president Tom Ascheim to handle the Wizarding World and Potter franchises, which embrace theme parks, excursions and the $9.1 billion-grossing theatrical library that spans the Harry Potter and spinoff Improbable Beasts titles. Below that setup, Ascheim grew to become WarnerMedia’s senior rep in its relationship with Rowling and her representatives, and exploratory conversations for a Max sequence acquired underway.
After the Discovery acquisition was accomplished a yr in the past, that unit was disbanded and Ascheim exited the corporate. Nonetheless, the significance of the Harry Potter IP has solely grown post-merger.
Zaslav spoke about his household’s personal private connection to the sequence.
“My spouse and I, we learn (the Harry Potter books) to every of our three children,” mentioned Zaslav, going off script on the Max announcement. “It’s actually shifting, for ten consecutive years, individuals will see Harry Potter on HBO; I imply it’s actually one thing.”
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