No, a 'Harry Potter' TV series is not in the works, HBO, Warner Bros confirm

It seems ‘The Boy Who Lived’ will not be seeing new life on the small screen. Contrary to earlier reports by the Hollywood Reporter about a Harry Potter TV series being in the works, it’s appears there have been long talks and no action, according to Variety. 

And upon being contacted by The Post, Warner Bros. and HBO Max released a joint statement claiming, “There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform.”

That said, if something clandestine is actually in development, it could be a redo of the Harry Potter books that came out between 1997 and 2007, reported the New York Post. After all, even after eight big-screen movie adaptations (grossing almost $8 billion worldwide), there’s plenty of material that was left out, such as the Marauder’s backstory, or Hermione’s house-elf crusade. 

But a TV series could also easily be set in a different era in the rich Harry Potter world — after all, the spinoff film franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set around World War II, several decades before the events of the series, when Dumbledore was young enough to be Jude Law.

Harry’s parents’ generation is rife for a focus. A 1970s- and ’80s-era Hogwarts could be fascinating on-screen. But would original cast members such as Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson be involved? Time will tell. 

Not to mention, there have also been controversies that may prevent a spinoff from happening at all. For one, author JK Rowling has landed herself in hot waters lately for sharing her stance on transgender people. Following this, after a series of celebrities criticised Rowling, Harry Potter headliner Radcliffe spoke out in support of the enduring franchise in June.

“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you,” he said about Rowling’s statements.

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