With no more Harry Potter books to adapt into movies, and with the Fantastic Beasts film franchise failing to connect with audiences in the same way, Warner Bros. is doing the only thing they can do with their hugely lucrative property: They’re making the original J.K. Rowling novels into a TV show.
That we already knew. But now we know the people who will be in charge of the show. HBO and Warner Bros. announced today that the upcoming Harry Potter TV series will be produced and overseen by showrunner Francesca Gardiner and directed by Mark Mylod. Both previously worked on HBO’s acclaimed series Succession.
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Even though Rowling has not written a new Harry Potter novel in over 15 years, the Harry Potter franchise is still going strong, thanks to continued interest in the books and movies, an ongoing Harry Potter stage play in London and on Broadway, as well as endless amounts of merchandise and various Universal theme parks. (A new one is currently being built in Orlando at Universal’s soon-to-open Epic Universe.)
Here is HBO’s official description of their Harry Potter show:
The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved “Harry Potter” book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters “Harry Potter” fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will bring “Harry Potter” and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.
HBO has not yet announced a planned release date, or any casting, for this new Harry Potter series. Whoever gets picked to play those central roles will have some big wizard robes to fill.
