Everything We Know So Far

After seven books, eight movies, one play and a whole spin-off series, Harry Potter is debuting on the small screen for the first time.

Warner Bros. Discovery first announced its plans for a new Harry Potter series in April 2023, with Bloomberg reporting that each season would be based on a single book, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and ending with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” HBO and Max chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said in a press release.

A year later, Daniel Radcliffe, who originated the titular role, shared that while he wouldn’t be participating in the series, he was just as excited as fans for the new adaptation. However, he added that he didn’t have plans to appear in it.

“Like the rest of the world, [I’m] very excited to watch as an audience member,” Radcliffe told E! in May 2024. “I don’t know if it would work to have us do anything in it.”

Just a month later, author J.K. Rowling shared that she had read the pilot script and was pleased with the direction of the show while announcing Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod as executive producers, with the former also working as a writer and the latter as a director of multiple episodes.

From the plot to the latest cast news, here’s everything to know about the new Harry Potter series.

What will the Harry Potter series be about?

Unlike other book-to-film adaptations such as The Hunger Games taking the prequel route with new releases, the upcoming series “will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series,” per an official press release from Warner Bros. Discovery.

The release adds that “each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.”

Will J. K. Rowling be involved in the Harry Potter series?

Despite her recent controversies regarding anti-transphobic comments, Rowling will be involved with the series to ensure its accuracy to her original storyline, Bloomberg reported in April 2023.

In their official press release, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that Rowling will serve as an executive producer along with Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV and David Heyman of Heyday Films.

A year later, Rowling shared her reaction to the picks for writer and director of the show.

“Both have a genuine passion for #HarryPotter, and having read Francesca’s pilot script and heard Mark’s vision, I’m certain the TV show will more than live up to expectations,” Rowling wrote in her X announcement.

Who is writing and directing the Harry Potter series?

In June 2024, HBO announced that the new series will be written and executive produced by Gardiner, whose past credits include Succession, Killing Eve and His Dark Materials.

Meanwhile, Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes of the series in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. Mylod is best known for directing numerous episodes of Succession, which earned him two Emmy Awards, in addition to helming 2022’s The Menu.

After their hiring was announced, Rowling shared she “interviewed” both Gardiner and Mylod and was “thrilled to announce [them] as our director and writer.”

Will the original Harry Potter cast members appear on the series?

It’s unlikely that any of the original Harry Potter stars will return for the new series, as Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that it “will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom.” After the show was first announced, Radcliffe told ComicBook.com in June 2023 that he had no plans to participate.

“My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” he said.

As for whether he would want to come back if he were asked, the Tony Award-winning actor said, “I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way.”

“But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed,” he added. “But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”

Bonnie Wright, who played Harry’s future wife and best friend Ron Weasley’s younger sister Ginny Weasley, echoed similar sentiments in September 2024, sharing her excitement to see the series adapted for TV.

However, she was more open to reprising Ginny. “Never say never, never say no,” she told PEOPLE. “I would be [open], I’m ready.”

Who is in the new cast of the Harry Potter series?

While an official cast list has yet to be announced, fans have started casting their dream stars into roles — including Irish actor Cillian Murphy in the role of Voldemort, the villain in the stories.

Even Ralph Fiennes, who famously played the character in the original movies, gave his stamp of approval, sharing on Watch What Happens Live in December 2024 that he thought “Cillian is a fantastic actor.”

“That’s a wonderful suggestion,” he added. “I would be all in favor of Cillian. Yeah.”

Chris Columbus, who directed two of the movies, echoed Fiennes’ sentiment weeks later, telling PEOPLE that casting Murphy would be “amazing.”

One character whose casting made headlines in February 2025 is headmaster Albus Dumbledore. After weeks of speculation, John Lithgow told ScreenRant that he was asked to play the iconic mentor which “came as a total surprise.”

“I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it’s going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I’m afraid,” Lithgow said.

While he said he did say yes, HBO could not confirm whether he’s been cast in the role as the deal had not been closed yet.

Meanwhile, there has been no word yet on who will play the golden trio: Harry, Ron and Hermione. In September 2024, an open casting call poster went up seeking children aged between 9 and 11 and based in the U.K. and Ireland to fill the roles.

Where can you watch the Harry Potter series?

Despite earlier announcements that the show would be a Max original, it was reported in June 2024 that the series will now air on HBO. Though Deadline reports that like all HBO originals, the series will likely be available to stream on Max.

How many seasons will the Harry Potter series include?

The official press release from Warner Bros. Discovery confirms that the new show would be “a decade-long series,” however, it’s unclear just how many seasons that will entail.

Bloys noted that it would be up to the showrunner how to split up the seven books, but the first season would mostly revolve around Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, while potentially including bits from other books.

When will the Harry Potter series be released?

Though Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t confirm a release date, Variety reported in February 2024 that the series would air in 2026, with filming taking place in 2025.