Warner Bros. Discovery has an update about the Harry Potter TV series and not every Potterhead is rooting for the project after the update. David Zaslav, WBD CEO, has suggested that author J.K. Rowling will be heavily involved in the series. Earlier, it was reported that she would executive produce the series. Rowling’s inflammatory comments about the trans community have made her a controversial figure in recent times.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the last movie in the film franchise, was released in 2011 and Zaslav believes that it is time for a reinvention. However, the franchise had not been dormant, as three movies came out in the Fantastic Beasts series.
Fans Don’t Want A Harry Potter Series That Involves J. K. Rowling
J.K. Rowling became an incredibly successful author with the release of her Harry Potter books in the ’90s. She was a largely influential figure among bookworms until 2018 when some of her remarks about the trans community offended many people. Rowling may have lost the reputation she once had, but her books and the Harry Potter films still remain largely beloved by fans.
Potterheads, who grew up watching Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson play the trio in the films, were initially skeptical about a reboot series. However, some felt that a series adaptation would add more details from the book, something which irked fans about the movies. Recent reports from Warner Bros. have just pissed off many people as the studio is planning to largely involve Rowling in the series.
According to The Wrap, David Zaslav mentioned in the Q4 earnings call on Friday that he and the team from HBO & WB had met with Rowling in London. He added that the Harry Potter author was excited about reigniting the franchise. He shared (via The Wrap):
“We’ve not been shy about our excitement around ‘Harry Potter.’ The last film was made more than a dozen years ago. I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey [Bloys, CEO of HBO] and Channing [Dungey, chairperson of Warner Bros Television] and we spent some real time with JK and her team. Both sides just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead.”
Fans on X were really not happy about a series being greenlit with Rowling in a major role behind the scenes. One fan suggested that Rowling may have a significant influence on what is to be shown in the series, including some problematic elements that were skipped from the movies. They suggested that the series would go ahead and would be hell. Several fans found the series unnecessary, with one even sharing that they hated to see Rowling profit from this project.
Would you like to see a Harry Potter reboot? https://t.co/W5qiMqpeV9
— MyTimeToShineHello (@MyTimeToShineH) February 23, 2024
No but it's going to happen and it's gonna be hell. I cannot wait for when they'll adapt the list problematic part of the books that were taken out on purpose from the movies.
— Yomama 🌄🦄🪲⛵🔭☂️ (@plummyplumss) February 23, 2024
if JK Rowling is involved and profiting absolutely not
— eternalzep | chris | BLM (he/him) 🍉 (@eternalzep) February 23, 2024
I think we're getting it if we want it or not
— Kieran (@NFKeeks) February 23, 2024
It is the only IP in my lifetime that I never wanted to see rebooted
— Lord Frank (@lord_fxk) February 23, 2024
No sounds absolutely unnecessary…….
— Selenasheartbeat ELMIR 💃🏻 ♥️🔥 (@selrareheartbet) February 23, 2024
Since the WBD takeover, HBO has been accused of focusing largely on remake, reboot, or spinoff content. The lack of original ideas in their projects is a major concern for the studio. Earlier, fans were also upset with the studio for milking money out of the Game of Thrones franchise with several spinoff projects.
Harry Potter Series Receives A Potential Release Date From HBO
David Zaslav was super excited about the Harry Potter project during the call. His excitement might mean that the series is a priority at WB. Zaslav even went on to share a potential release date for the series, adding that WBD can’t wait to share their new take on the Wizarding World with fans. The series will be making a debut on Max in 2026. Zaslav shared:
“We can’t wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max. We’re aiming for a debut in 2026.”
Interestingly, the studio has been listening to ideas from various writers and creators for the last few months. Their first task would be to find the right writer and showrunner for the series, before going into casting. The casting for the roles is really going to be the greatest challenge for the studio as fans have already warmed up to the movie actors in these roles.
While fans wait for a new series, they can enjoy the Harry Potter movies which are now available for streaming on Max.
