Thirteen years after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 brought the cinematic saga to a teary close, the Wizarding World is being dusted off and repackaged—this time as a glossy HBO series. Yes, really. We’re heading back to Hogwarts, wands and all, in the form of an episodic television reboot.
Helmed by Succession duo Francesca Gardiner (showrunner) and Mark Mylod (director), the series promises a return to J.K. Rowling’s original text, with Harry discovering he’s a wizard, abandoning his dreary Muggle upbringing, and enrolling at a certain boarding school for magical misfits. Expect familiar beats—Ron, Hermione, Voldemort (sorry, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named)—but with more time to linger in the corridors and common rooms.
It also lands nearly 30 years after Rowling published Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (not Sorcerer’s, thank you), which Chris Columbus turned into box office gold in 2001. Altogether, the original films pulled in a tidy $7.7 billion worldwide—no big deal.
Here’s everything we know so far about HBO’s new Harry Potter series.
Who’s in it?
Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid
HBO has confirmed a core cast that’ll raise a few eyebrows: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as everyone’s favourite gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid.
Also joining the cast: Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, and The Fast Show’s Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. Mischief managed.
How will it differ from the films?
John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore
The plan is one book per season. So, seven books, seven series—provided all goes well with ratings and Potterheads. Gardiner and Mylod have said they don’t want to rewrite the past, just build on it. Think of it as a deeper dive into the characters, Hogwarts lore, and side plots the films barely grazed.
They’ve even said they won’t “mess with” the look of the Great Hall. Smart move.
Is Rowling involved?
Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape
Yes, and unsurprisingly, that’s already a talking point. Rowling will serve as an executive producer, and according to HBO boss Casey Bloys, she was “very, very involved” in choosing both writer and director.
Her continued presence may divide audiences, given her controversial stance on trans and non-binary issues, but HBO is sticking with her nonetheless.
So who’s playing the Big Three—Harry, Ron and Hermione?
Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall
Still under wraps. As per Variety, around 32,000 kids auditioned across the UK and Ireland, and as of December, Gardiner and Mylod were still combing through the tapes. No pressure, then.
When does it start filming—and when can we watch it?
Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell
Filming kicks off in summer 2025 at Leavesden Studios—the very same lot where the films were shot. The series will eventually premiere on Max sometime in 2026. Plenty of time to brush up on your Parseltongue.
