Possible New Harry Potter Series On The Way


It appears that the long-rumored Harry Potter TV series for HBO Max will soon be able to overcome the biggest obstacle in its way: a deal with the books’ author J.K. Rowling, who has creative authority over any exploitation of her work.

Deadline has learned that Warner Bros. is in talks with Rowling about her becoming a producer on the project. The project, which is still in its infancy, is expected to begin seeking a writer once she joins the team. As Bloomberg was the first to report, the general idea is that each season of the possible TV show would focus on one of the seven Harry Potter books.

Warner Bros. Television would be in charge of making the show.

A couple of years ago, HBO Max and its parent company at the time, WarnerMedia, started looking into making a Harry Potter TV show. At the time, Warner Bros. put Kids, Young Adult, and Classics president Tom Ascheim in charge of the Wizarding World and Potter franchises. These include theme parks, tours, and the $9.1 billion theatrical library, including Harry Potter and the spinoff Fantastic Beasts. Under this job description, Ascheim became WarnerMedia’s main contact with Rowling and her representatives, and talks about a possible Max series began.

A year ago, when the Discovery deal was done, that unit was broken up, and Ascheim left the company. The Harry Potter IP, on the other hand, became even more important after the merger.

David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has said many times that he is focused on franchises, with the Harry Potter IP as a top priority. He has met with Rowling several times and has spoken out in defense of the author amid the ongoing controversy surrounding her views on transgender issues.

The Harry Potter 20th anniversary reunion special on HBO Max, the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses event series on TBS, and most recently, the Hogwarts Legacy hit video game have all been successful for WBD and its predecessor WM in recent years.