If you’ve spent the summer holidays having a Hogwarts movie marathon then good news, a Harry Potter TV series could be on the way before you can even say ~wingardium leviosa~.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, executives at HBO and Warner Bros. are looking to turn the blockbuster film and novel franchise into a TV show. The project is currently in *very* early stages with the two companies currently looking for a writer and pitch for the series.
“Sources say broad ideas have been discussed as part of the early-stage exploratory meetings,” the THR report read.
Will JK Rowling be involved with the Harry Potter TV series?
Per the THR report, JK Rowling controls the entire Harry Potter franchise and has a say in everything involving the property. So, it’s likely that JK Rowling will be involved in some way with the Harry Potter TV series.
Can I still watch Harry Potter if I don’t feel comfortable supporting JK Rowling?
Ultimately, this is a question that only you can answer but on a surface level: yes. As Daniel Radcliffe wrote in a letter for The Trevor Project to LGBTQIA+ Potterheads, “if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life—then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.”
If you do want to watch the series but feel guilty supporting a franchise owned by someone who’s made several harmful transphobic comments, we recommend donating to a local LGBTQIA+ not-for-profit like Twenty10 or Minus18.
Will Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint appear in the Harry Potter TV show?
As of publishing, we don’t know whether the original Harry Potter cast—Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Tom Felton, and others—will return to reprise their roles in HBO’s Harry Potter TV show.
While we wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them appear as a quick cameo, it’s also unlikely many of them won’t want to participate in the franchise after JK Rowling’s series of transphobic comments in recent years. That said, given that this is most likely a spin-off, we could see references or more likely, side characters like Luna Lovegood—Aka Evanna Lynch—return.
We’ll know more about the Harry Potter TV show as the project develops further. In the meantime, may we interest you in an upcoming Percy Jackson TV show coming exclusively to Disney+?