Back in April of this year, HBO announced plans for a live-action television reboot of the Harry Potter film series, which is based on the fantasy book series by author J.K. Rowling. It was confirmed that the upcoming reboot will feature an all-new cast.
Each season will reportedly be based on one of the seven novels that Rowling released from 1997–2007, allowing for a deeper exploration of the texts than what the individual films could deliver.
At the time of the announcement, Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content stated, "Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years."
Now, producer David Heyman (who also produced all of the Harry Potter films) has provided an update on the TV series to Total Film Magazine.
"[On Harry Potter] It’s early days. We haven’t even hired a writer to begin writing. It’s a bit early. But hopefully [it will be] something that’s very special, and gives us an opportunity to see the books, and to enjoy a series which explores the books more deeply."
It sounds as if the television series is still quite a ways off, much to the relief of fans of the film series who believe the television reboot is coming way too soon.
Of course, with the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the series would only be able to hire a showrunner or directors unless the cast consisted entirely of Equity talent, which is the UK's equivalent of the American guilds.
The last Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, was released in 2011 but the film series has held up nicely over the years, with the franchise routinely performing very well on streaming and home video.
Those same fans are also likely struggling to grasp the concept of someone other than Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson playing the Golden Trio.
Rowling, who has come under fire in recent years for her views that trans women are not women and trans men are not men, will be involved as an executive producer, but she won't function as a primary showrunner who's involved with every creative element.
Recently, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav stated that he believes the company has underutilized IPs such as DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter.
The TV reboot could be the first in a series of new Potter-related projects developed for television, films, video games, and other media.
Speculation is already running rampant that the Broadway play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be the next piece of literature adapted for cinema.