Harry Potter Series in Development for HBO Max according to Hollywood Reporter. (1 Viewer)

[Wayne_j]

‘Harry Potter’ Live-Action TV Series in Early Development at HBO Max (Exclusive)

Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that executives have had a series of meetings with writers with the goal of bringing the blockbuster franchise to television.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

"A Harry Potter live-action TV series is in early development at HBO Max. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that executives at the WarnerMedia-backed streamer have engaged in multiple conversations with potential writers exploring various ideas that would bring the beloved property to television. Sources say broad ideas have been discussed as part of the early-stage exploratory meetings.

While it's news that executives at HBO Max and Warners are engaged in meetings to find a writer and pitch for a Harry Potter TV series, no writers or talent are currently attached as the conversations are still in the extremely early stages and no deals have been made. "There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform," HBO Max and Warner Bros. reaffirmed in a statement to THR."

 

[Sam Favate]

As my kids are currently about two weeks away from finishing the final book and we are re-watching the movies now, this is big news in my house today. Last night, my wife and I were talking about the second movie, which we watched with the kids yesterday, and I commented that the movies didn't just tell a story, they were more about the life of Harry and others during that year. And my wife said, yes, it might be better as a series. Bingo.

 

[Johnny Angell]

As my kids are currently about two weeks away from finishing the final book and we are re-watching the movies now, this is big news in my house today. Last night, my wife and I were talking about the second movie, which we watched with the kids yesterday, and I commented that the movies didn't just tell a story, they were more about the life of Harry and others during that year. And my wife said, yes, it might be better as a series. Bingo.

When I first saw the original post I thought they would have to write completely new stories. You are saying just use the whole book. I like your idea.

 

[Wayne_j]

I long thought it would be a better series than movies. If the first few book are made into 5 episode seasons and the later one 15, I am fine with that.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I think it’s inevitable at some point that the story gets retold as a television series with each book taking up a season. I think the only question is whether that happens before or after the Fantastic Beasts theatrical franchise concludes. I honestly didn’t see this sort of thing coming for at least another decade but money talks, etc.

 

[Joe Wong]

Hmmm…

Warner Bros. Looks to Close Deal for ‘Harry Potter’ HBO Max Series

Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to close a deal to produce a “Harry Potter” television series. According to Bloomberg, which was first to report news of developing talks, the project …

variety.com

 

[Sean Bryan]

I think it’s too soon to retell this story and would prefer a continuation with Harry, Ron and Hermione as adults with their children at Hogwarts. I do think a series would be a good format to adapt the original books, but the movies were a pretty massive affair and don’t feel old enough to be done over just yet.

 

[Joe Wong]

I think it’s too soon to retell this story and would prefer a continuation with Harry, Ron and Hermione as adults with their children at Hogwarts. I do think a series would be a good format to adapt the original books, but the movies were a pretty massive affair and don’t feel old enough to be done over just yet.

Yep… let’s move forward.

 

[joshEH]

I can't wait until the poor little 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds they cast for this show are suddenly grilled hard by the media over what they think of TERFs like J.K. Rowling.

 

[Philip Verdieck]

Wow.

1) I didn't know Warner had the rights

2) Just what we need, an expensive series by HBO, which has been axing a bunch of their properties to save money.

3) I really don't want to see any of the current cast grown up doing things, or their kids. I would rather have new characters. But you never know.

 

[NeilO]

The first film came out in 2001 and the final film in the series came out in 2011. So it will have been quite some time once they actually get things together and running so they can produce one season a year, each of which covers one book in the series.

I think a good adaptation would be welcomed. There is a lot missing in the movies. Each season could be longer as the books themselves grew in length.

One thing I would really like is if they went with the original text and none of the Americanizing that was done. Go with Philosopher's Stone, please.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I think they should leave it alone. The 8 films are timeless and will play as well in 50 or 100 years. Lucas could have decided in 1983 that that was it and anything else would be left to fans' imaginations. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

 

[Joe Wong]

I think, because the Harry Potter discourse hasn't diminished that much since the last film came out in 2011 (with a stage play, the Fantastic Beast films, and theme park lands in Universal Orlando, to name a few), that it's still too soon to adapt the stories again.

If the general memory of HP was almost extinguished, then perhaps a remake would be of interest.

Put it this way, if Stephanie Meyers' Twilight Saga (2008-2012) was being discussed for a remake, then I would think people would think it's too soon. I chose that for comparison because the films finished around the same time as HP and was also based on a very popular set of books. Granted, that book (and film) series is not quite as popular as HP, but they had a pretty huge following back in the day. And the Twilight discourse, I believe, is currently much quieter than for HP.

 

[benbess]

Like most of you, I feel it's too soon to do this. According to a recent article on the Harry Potter reboot in Bloomberg, HBOmax is soon going to be renamed just Max. ?? Seems kind of pointless from my pov to do that. This "new" streaming service would also would be moving away from anything that isn't a really big "name brand franchise." So, for instance, it sounds like something like the film noirish Perry Mason show that I currently watch on HBOmax, which is set in the 1930s, might be out.

They really captured lighting in a bottle with the cast of the Harry Potter movies, especially the kids. I just don't think that's likely to happen again to the same degree. The production values on those movies were also epic. To do something on that scale for a TV show seems like it might be too expensive, given how there's a focus on cost-cutting and retrenchment in the entertainment industry these days.

And here's another thing—the materials in the first three books were already pretty well exploited in the movies. The first three books were shorter to average in length when it comes to novels. Book 1 was 77,000 words, book 2 85k, and book 3 107k. The corresponding movies were all pretty long, with 1 being 2 hours 32 minutes, 2 2:41, and 3 2:22.

It wasn't until book 4, The Goblet of Fire, that the word count took an epic leap, with that book reaching 191,000 words. Goblet of Fire is a big novel, and actually from my pov was the best in the series. They should have split that into two movies, and considered doing that, but didn't. The movie, even at 2 hours and 37 minutes, left out large parts of the book. This is where a TV series might really cover things the movie didn't. But that's at potentially season 4! I guess for the first three seasons of maybe 10 episodes each they'd hire writers who would just invent a lot of things that weren't in the books, but under JKR's direction?

Anyway, books 5, 6, and 7 are also all huge, but as we know 7 was broken into two movies, and so that one was also pretty much exploited in those two movies.

So it's really only three novels out of the series of seven that have large amounts unused material that they couldn't fit into the movies.

All that being said, will I probably watch it if it eventually gets made? Sigh. Yes.

 

[Chris Will]

Would this new series keep the look of the world the same, like Hogwarts. I mean, you still see Hogwarts everywhere from theme parks to video games. If this show looks completely different I'm not sure it will be accepted. The them park areas in Orlando are fantastic but they right out of the movies with those actors all over the place. Why do a show that tried to replace them. It's too soon.

How about explore the universe in other ways. I'm not a huge Potter fan, I really like the first 2 movies and enjoy the 3rd but, after that I lose interest as they get darker an drop the whimsical fun. The recent Hogwarts Legacy video game is fantastic and really surprised me because I'm not a mega fan. It's story has held my interest and exploring Hogwarts is a blast. The story in the game is in 1899.

My point is do something like that, go back in time and explore the universe detached from Harry and his story. The game has been a huge hit and proves that fans do not need the book characters to get interested, they just want a well crafted production that respects the universe. The game also mentions other schools around the world so there is so much that could be explored and it doesn't even have to be Hogwarts focused.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

I'm guessing with the rapidly dropping performance of the Fantastic Beasts series, they're probably way too scared to make anything outside of the main Potter story.

 

[Joe Wong]

I'm guessing with the rapidly dropping performance of the Fantastic Beasts series, they're probably way too scared to make anything outside of the main Potter story.

Bad storytelling may be a cause? (I understand external factors like Depp’s legal issues don’t help.)

(Disclosure: I have only seen the first FB, which I liked. The other 2 seemed to be going out of their way to tie back to the HP characters, which is similar to what’s happening in the Disney+ Star Wars TV shows, and in so doing, reducing some of the FB characters’ roles.)

 

[Malcolm R]

Bad storytelling may be a cause? (I understand external factors like Depp’s legal issues don’t help.)

(Disclosure: I have only seen the first FB, which I liked. The other 2 seemed to be going out of their way to tie back to the HP characters, which is similar to what’s happening in the Disney+ Star Wars TV shows, and in so doing, reducing some of the FB characters’ roles.)

I'd agree with this. The franchise isn't telling the story I wanted to see. I wanted to see Newt Scamander studying and having adventures involving fantastic beasts, not a political drama with Dumbledore and Grindelwald. First movie was OK. Didn't really like the second. Still haven't watched the third.

 

[Jake Lipson]

I'm guessing with the rapidly dropping performance of the Fantastic Beasts series, they're probably way too scared to make anything outside of the main Potter story.

It's not that they're scared. It's that they can't. J.K. Rowling's original deal to sell WB the film rights included a lot of control and approvals, so it comes down to what she will authorize. They can't make something without her blessing. That is why she wrote the Fantastic Beasts films. But those films flamed out spectacularly, so it doesn't make any sense to make more of them. I suspect she would probably say no to any attempt to continue Harry's story that didn't originate with her. So going back to the original source material appears to be their only option.

 

[Alex...]

Official logo

‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Officially Happening at Max

David Heyman, who produced all eight feature films, is in talks to exec produce the original series based on the books. Series creator J.K. Rowling will exec produce and “her insights will be helpful," says HBO boss Casey Bloys, who declined to discuss the controversy over the author’s remarks...

www.hollywoodreporter.com