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Don't be surprised if you get some letters delivered by owl on your doorstep soon, because the Harry Potter franchise is set to get a significant revival with an all-new television series.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is one of the most popular and beloved franchises ever created, garnering a massive international following ever since the very first book was released in 1997. Thus, a blossoming multi-million-dollar franchise was born, and it wasn't long until the stories of Harry Potter's adventures made their way to the big screen with the now-legendary eight-part film series. Attracting both fans of the novels and just fantasy film fans in general, audiences everywhere got to see "The Boy Who Lived" take part in his multi-year adventure at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the box office record-breaking saga.
Many Harry Potter fans were satisfied when Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) story concluded in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, but many would also agree that the current state of the franchise has been a bit bumpy. The film saga was initially set to expand with a total of five films in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, but poor reviews and even poorer box office returns led to only three being produced. Add in original Harry Potter and franchise owner J.K. Rowling's controversial statements on transgender rights and the series as a whole seems to be in an uncertain place.
Perhaps seeing it as a time to give the beloved series a fresh start, Warner Brothers Discovery, and its president David Zaslav, officially confirmed that the Harry Potter franchise will be rebooted with an all-new seven-season television. The plan for the new series is already sounding ambitious and will no doubt be a big system seller for the company's new Max streaming service. To learn more about the show's trailer, plot, and streaming details, here is everything we know so far about the Harry Potter reboot series.
When Does the Harry Potter Reboot Series Come Out?
We did not get a release date or release window for the Harry Potter reboot series following its announcement, and that's likely because the project is still in very early development. With the pre-production process only just starting, it will probably be quite some time until we find out when we can return to the fantastical Wizarding World. What we do know is that the series will be released over a span of a decade.
Is There a Trailer for the Harry Potter Reboot Series?
Yes, there is, but if you're hoping it's a teaser trailer that will delve into the nitty-gritty plot details, you'll be more disappointed than Slytherin when they lose the house cup ceremony for the seventh time. The above announcement trailer pretty much is just that - an announcement that a reimagining of the Harry Potter saga is in development for Max, but there are a couple of details to glean here that may be significant.
For starters, John Williams' iconic theme song is front and center in the trailer, which may be a sign that the music from the films will be present in the new series. As the candles from the Great Hall of Hogwarts unite to form the also very familiar logo, we also get a glimpse at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the background, looking almost exactly as it did in the films. Although the upcoming project is expected to be a full reboot of the series, it's assuring to see that some things might remain the same.
Who Stars in the Harry Potter Reboot Series?
No casting details about the upcoming series have been made known at this time, though it's likely that the many characters of the Wizarding World will be portrayed by all new actors rather than the ones we've met before. Still, we won't rule out the possibility of appearances from the film franchise stars such as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and more.
What Will the Harry Potter Series Be About?
We haven't gotten too many plot details for the upcoming Harry Potter reboot series yet, but all signs point to the show being a from-the-ground-up remake of the Harry Potter story. Each season of the series will be dedicated to each of the seven books in the series and promises to be even more faithful to the source material than the films were. Fans of the series are certainly aware of Harry's seven-chapter story, but in case you're one of the lucky few who will be experiencing the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time through the upcoming series, here's a brief introduction to the plot of the main saga.
Set in a version of Great Britain where there is a hidden underground society of sorcerers who live apart from the modern world, the story begins with the Wizarding World being torn apart by Lord Voldemort - a malevolent wizard who believes both Wizard and humankind should bend to his will. His quest for power leads him to the Potter family, and while he quickly and decisively murders Harry's parents, when he goes to cast a killing curse on a then-infant Harry, the boy somehow deflects the spell and defeats the Dark Lord. Voldemort's defeat was only temporary however, and Harry is taken by Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to live with his human aunt and uncle.
Harry's new guardians are cruel and nasty, but his secret identity remained hidden from Voldemort's supporters. Harry's life changes drastically when he turns eleven years old and gets a letter from an owl saying he's been enrolled in Hogwarts. Against his aunt and uncle's wishes, Harry and the kindly Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid get the boy ready for his wizard training. That's only how Harry's story begins, and the next seven years are packed with adventure, tragedy, and plenty of magic.
Who Is Making the Harry Potter Reboot Series?
David Zaslav has confirmed that J.K. Rowling will still be involved with the upcoming series as an executive producer, and while this does imply that the show will still stay faithful to the original, Rowling has proven to be a controversial figure for her political views. After various statements that members and activists of the transgender community view as discriminatory, Rowling's profits have reportedly dropped significantly, even with the success of other Harry Potter properties like the recently released video game, Hogwarts Legacy. As executive producer and owner of the Harry Potter IP, Rowling will likely still have full creative control of the project.
Other crewing details such as directors, writers, and showrunners have not been revealed at this time.