- The Harry Potter TV Show will be on HBO in 2026
- What is JK Rowling’s involvement with the HBO show?
- The original Harry Potter cast have mixed feelings about joining the series
With the Harry Potter series confirmed to premiere on HBO in 2026, questions have arisen about the show. Fans of the movie franchise have been asking if any actors from the movies will return.
Harry Potter’s movies spanned ten years from 2001 to 2011. Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Daniel Radcliffe also worked with HBO to reunite for a Harry Potter special in 2022. Oh, the nostalgia.
Also in question is the involvement of author J.K. Rowling, who began writing Harry Potter in 1990. In the Harry Potter movies, Rowling “wasn’t part” of the original movie-making process, according to actor Tom Felton, a.k.a Draco Malfoy. He claimed he only saw her “once or twice on set.”
As for her other projects, she was very involved with Fantastic Beasts, writing the screenplay for the first movie. She also had a hand in picking the cast members, although the fourth and fifth movies are not currently in development.
But most importantly, is she involved in the new Harry Potter series? We have the details.
Will J.K. Rowling Be Involved in The Harry Potter Series?
Rowling has been considered a controversial figure in recent years, for her comments on gender identity and thoughts on Harry Potter characters.
Nevertheless, creating a hugely successful book series and inspiring an even more successful movie franchise must mean you have some creative control, and Rowling does.
HBO CEO Casey Bloys revealed that Rowling has been “heavily involved” in the Harry Potter series. At a press event, Bloys was asked about Rowling’s past controversies and comments on the transgender community and if her involvement would change the show.
In response, he said Rowling has “been fairly involved in the process of selecting the writer and director,” according to IndieWire.
Mark Mylod directs and produces the show, with Rowling serving as an executive producer.
Bloys stated that Rowling’s involvement hasn’t influenced anyone’s decision to join the series. However, Harry Potter alumni have expressed differing views about returning to the wizarding world.
What have actors said about the Harry Potter series?
We’ve already broken down what the Harry Potter cast thinks about JK Rowling, but what about the show?
Starting strong, Harry Potter himself Daniel Radcliffe said he’s “very excited to watch” the new series in an interview. He also hasn’t ruled out making a cameo in it. Eek!
With that being said, He didn’t seem optimistic about a potential return. When asked if he would come back, he replied, “I don’t think so.” Later, when questioned again last year about making a cameo, he said he would “not deal in hypotheticals.” Well then.
Bonnie Wright who played Ginny Weasley in the movies also reacted to the Harry Potter series. To The Express Tribue, she said she was “excited for what’s next for that character”.
However, Wright gave a similar response to Radcliffe on a potential cameo. She said that a Ginny cameo would be “confusing” because Ginny would exist in the same timeline as the characters in the show. Yes, that would be strange.
Surprisingly, Dobby has entered the reboot conversation—though not literally. Toby Jones, Dobby’s voice, told The Wrap he’d gladly return, saying, “Of course I would. I’m very proud of that.”
David Bradley, the iconic Argus Filch, also shared his thoughts on the reboot. Joking with Radio Times he quipped that he “hadn’t had the call yet” about joining the series. However, he did offer some insights into why HBO might be tackling the project.
“I’m assuming the reason they’re doing it is they’ll be able to include more of the story because they’ll have more screen time—a lot more than the films had,” he explained.
Have the rest of the main cast reacted?
We don’t have the answer you’re hoping for. On if she’d return to Hogwarts in 20 years, Watson told Vogue she’d “definitely” return, but she hasn’t spoken about returning in the new Harry Potter series.
Fellow Harry Potter lead and love interest Grint said to Variety when the series was merely a rumor that the idea of a Harry Potter TV show was “weird” to do.
What Grint meant when he said ‘weird’ was that it would be strange if the show were a continuation of the movies. Luckily for Grint, the show is a TV adaptation of the original series and isn’t a sequel.
He also said he’d watch the show with his daughter though. How sweet.
While these reactions may not make our hearts swell, we’re glad that the HP cast still appreciates the iconic series. And we can’t wait for the show, regardless of who is involved.
