In something of a shock, Warner Bros. Discovery is on the verge of closing a deal for a new Harry Potter TV series that would reboot the entire cast, meaning someone else besides Daniel Radcliffe would play the Boy Wizard.
Under the terms of the deal now being discussed, each season of the show would be based on one of the seven bestselling books in J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter series. Rowling would not serve as the creator or showrunner of the series, though the controversial author would still maintain a degree of creative involvement and be credited as an executive producer.
Though it’s still early on the dealmaking side, the series would be developed for HBO Max, or whatever WBD ends up calling its combined streaming service.
Industry observers had long expected that WBD would do whatever it took to bring back Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint for one last go-round, and though I suppose it’s still possible that they could return for this series, it’s more likely that this creative route will see the studio start from scratch by bringing in a new writer.
The Harry Potter news comes as WBD prepares to host a presentation for investors and the general public on April 12 in which it will show off its new streaming service, which combines HBO Max and Discovery+ and is rumored to be called, simply, Max.
Warner Bros. previously turned Rowling’s seven books into an eight-film franchise that grossed $7.7 billion worldwide and spawned a spinoff franchise under the Fantastic Beasts moniker, as well as a hit Broadway production (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), a hit video game (Hogwarts Legacy), and, of course, an entire theme park catering to fans of the wizarding world.
Bloomberg, broke the news, though HBO Max was staying mum on Monday night.
