- Big names officially confirmed for Harry Potter TV show
- Set to film in UK in 2025
- Series set to be “more in-depth” than the movies
The Harry Potter TV show is taking shape, with casting confirmed and filming set to take place in the UK in 2025.
The project was first announced in April 2023 and promises to deliver a full franchise reset. Warner Bros’ eight-movie story, based on author J.K. Rowling’s hugely popular seven-book series, brought Harry Potter to the big screen between 2001 and 2022.
It also made household names of its three leads Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as Harry, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger respectively.
With Rowling returning as Executive Producer, the Harry Potter TV series will reimagine the Boy Who Lived for a new generation. It’ll also tell each of his adventures in different series.
Read on to discover everything we know so far about the Harry Potter TV show.
When is the Harry Potter TV show released?
An exact release date for the Harry Potter TV show has yet to be confirmed.
The show is set to be filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire in Summer 2025, the same space where the original Harry Potter movies were shot.
The news was confirmed via an X post in early December 2024.
Wands at the ready.
— Max (@StreamOnMax) December 5, 2024
The upcoming HBO Original Series, #HarryPotter, will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025 and coming to Max. pic.twitter.com/6JSOA20w52
The post began by saying “Wands at the ready.”
“The upcoming HBO Original Series #HarryPotter, will be filming at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden with production beginning in Summer 2025 and coming to MAX.”
Warner Bros. Discovery had eyed a release window of 2026. Shortly after this was revealed, HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said it could be pushed to 2027.
Bloys told Deadline “writers are just getting started so it’s too soon to talk about air date” and that it could be “late 27-27.”
With the show still in pre-production, it’s likely the series won’t make it on to TV anytime soon. That said, no official statement has been made by Warner Bros. or HBO.
Where can I watch the Harry Potter TV show?
Originally, the Harry Potter TV series was set to debut on Warner Bros. Discovery. However, these plans changed in June 2025 and now viewers will find the show on HBO instead.
Who is making the Harry Potter TV show?
The new Harry Potter TV series will be overseen by Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner. These two creatives previously worked on HBO’s hit series Succession.
According to reports, Gardiner has been hired as a writer, showrunner and executive producer. Meanwhile, Mylod will direct multple episodes and also act as an executive producer.
In addition to Succession, Gardiner has also worked on Killing Eve and His Dark Materials. At he Emmys, Bloys confirmed that Mylod had started work, telling Deadline “They’re hiring department heads, casting, and we’re off.”
Before showrunner decisions were made, a mixture of British and American writers were reportedly invited to pitch their takes on a franchise reinvention. This process involved input from series creator Rowling before the powers-that-be landed on Gardiner and Mylod.
In late January 2025, Chris Columbus, the same filmmaker behind the first two movie instalments of the Harry Potter film franchise, chimed in on the TV show.
Speaking to People magazine, Columbus called the project “a spectacular idea”, adding that “there’s a certain restriction when you’re making a film.”
“Our film was two hours and 40 minutes, and the second one was almost as long,” explained Columbus.
“The fact that they have the leisure of [multiple] episodes for each book, I think that’s fantastic. You can get all the stuff in the series that we didn’t have an opportunity to do … all these great scenes that we just couldn’t put in the films. I look forward to seeing what they’re trying to do with it. I think it’s great.”
What has HBO said about J.K. Rowling?
In late November 2024, HBO confirmed its stance regarding Rowling’s outspoken views on gender rights.
Recent years have seen the author publicly discuss her belief that transgender people remain their biological sex. It’s something that has led the author to receive backlash from her fans and some actors who starred in the Harry Potter movie franchise including Radcliffe, Watson and Grint.
However, in a new statement, HBO has said that the author has the right to share her views.
“J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views,” explained the studio. “We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
Elsewhere, Bloys has said that Rowling has been closely involved with the casting process but her transgender views have not impacted decision making. The CEO said Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director,” but her views “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff.”
Bloys ended by saying Rowling’s input has been “invaluable.”
Who is starring in the Harry Potter TV show?
In mid-April 2025, HBO made its first official casting announcements for the Harry Potter TV show. These included John Lithgow as Hogwarts head teacher Albus Dumbledore and Black Mirror’s Paapa Essiedu as Slytherin Severus Snape.
Together, they’ll be joined by Shaun of the Dead’s Nick Frost as Hogwarts groundkeeper Rubeus Hagrid. Tumbleweeds’ actor Janet McTeer will play Gryffindor house head Minerva McGonagall.
In addition, The Fast Show comedian Paul Whitehouse will play Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch, with Luke Thallon playing Quirinus Quirrell.
In early 2025 an open casting call was revealed looking for young actors to play Harry, Ron and Hermione. Open to those in the UK and Ireland, the call-out stipulated that actors must be aged between 9 and 11 years old as of April 2025. It also said the production was “committed to inclusive, diverse casting.”
The same document also suggested a production start date of March 2026. However, Bloys later said that this was to be taken with a pinch of salt.
“We haven’t announced any [date],” Bloys told Deadline. “I think they were talking about age [the young actors] will be in March, that doesn’t mean necessarily a production start date.”
In early December 2024, reports emerged that Paapa Essiedu, star of the hit British series I May Destroy You was being considered for the role of Severous Snape. This iconic duel-sided role was famously brought to life by the late Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter movie franchise.
While The Hollywood Reporter states that Essiedu has been offered the role, no official casting news has been confirmed thus far. If it goes ahead, it will mark an exciting and diverse change for a fan-favourite character.
Shortly afterwards, a slew of other casting rumors made their way online.
These included Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein as Hogwarts grounds keeper Hagrid, a role originally played by Robbie Coltrane. As it turned out, this didn’t come to pass.
Mark Rylance was rumored to play Dumbledore, Head Teacher of Hogwarts and a role originally played by Richard Harris. The role was later taken over by Sir Michael Gambon following Harris’ death in 2002. The Penguin’s Mark Strong has also been rumored for the role.
Bad Sisters’ star Sharon Horgan was reportedly being considered for Minerva McGonagall, Hogwarts Deputy Head and a role previously played by Maggie Smith. Deadline reports that Rachel Weisz is also being considered for this role.
As it turned out, neither of these rumors ended up having any merit.
Mylod recently confirmed that, unlike the Harry Potter movies, each character will be closer to their canonical age as they appear in Rowling’s books. This means that Severus Snape will be played by an actor in their early 30s.
Meanwhile, Ralph Fiennes – the actor who played series big-bad Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies – has offered his thoughts on rumours suggesting Oppenheimer’s Cillian Murphy might take over this evil wizard role.
“Cillian is a fantastic actor,” said Fiennes. “That’s a wonderful suggestion. I would be all in favor of Cillian.”
In February 2025, news broke that John Lithgow was in talks to play Dumbledore. In the article, Variety confirms that Lithgow is being considered by HBO, but that the network was hesitant to confirm casting news.
They said: “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation. As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalize deals.”
Lithgow is known for many roles, he played Arthur Mitchell in Showtime’s Dexter, Winston Churchill in The Crown, and voiced Lord Farquad in Shrek. He also starred in 2024’s Conclave.
A mixed catalog indeed.
Is the Harry Potter TV show based on the books?
Yes, the Harry Potter TV show will be based on Rowling’s seven-book story, with each TV series chronicling a new year in the Boy Wizard’s academic career.
This was confirmed by the initial show announcement. “The stories from each of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will become a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love and care this global franchise is known for,” explained a statement from MAX.
“The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail, much loved characters and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over 25 years.
“Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”
Cut to October 2025, Warner Bros. TV Group Chairman and CEO Channing Dungey revealed that the Rowlings’ stories will be “more in depth” than they were on the big screen.
“As somebody who is a huge fan of the books, the opportunity to get to explore them in a little bit more in-depth that you can in just a two-hour film… that’s the whole reason we’re on this journey,” explained Dungey, adding that the experience was an “unbelievable dream.”
These sentiments have been echoed by Bloys, who has previously assured fans that the Harry Potter TV series will be “a faithful adaptation.”
“This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years,” said Bloys, adding that the series would run for “10 consecutive years.”
