More than ten years after the last cinematic installment of Harry Potter was released in theaters, audiences may get re-acquainted with everybody's favorite teenage wizard in another live-action installment. However, instead of a sequel to the original film series, all indications are that this upcoming version of the iconic book series will come as a TV show.
A Harry Potter reboot appears to be on the way. Except for this time, the Harry Potter franchise will come in the form of a TV series where each season adapts one of the seven books. The plan is to stream them all on HBO Max.
Bloomberg reported Warner Bros. Was closing in on a deal to make a Harry Potter series on the franchise's seven books. "Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. Is close to a deal for a new online TV series based on Harry Potter, the best-selling young adult books, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Each season of the series will be based on one of JK Rowling’s seven books, said the people, who asked not to be identified since the deal hasn’t been announced, suggesting years of fresh fare from the popular stories." With this new series, Warner Bros. Hopes it can usher in a new era of streaming for HBO Max. "The company is hoping the series can be one cornerstone of a new streaming strategy that will be announced next week by HBO’s parent, Warner Bros. That company’s chief executive officer, David Zaslav, and HBO chief Casey Bloys have worked to convince Rowling to produce a new series, but the deal hasn’t been completed."
The last time a Harry Potter film came out in theaters was in June 2011 when they premiered Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Since then, Hollywood has developed multiple Harry Potter prequels from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Since the film franchise ended, streaming services have popularized TV shows, which has led to cinematic adaptations from popular books being turned into series as opposed to movies because the former covers more ground.
Knowing the length of Harry Potter books, a TV series might not be the worst idea since the films could have only so much screen time for the books that they adapt. That's why Warner Bros. Split the last book into two movies because too much happens to be brushed aside when making the film. With this potential Harry Potter series that's about to be greenlit, fans could see a more faithful adaptation of the fictional wizard compared to the film series from 2001 to 2011.
Now while naysayers can tell Hollywood to leave good alone since the Harry Potter film franchise was pretty well-received during its run, this is a rare opportunity to delve into more of the franchise's ethos. For nearly 3 decades, Harry Potter has entertained the family unit with its whimsy and mystery. While there already was an adaptation of the material, those who maybe haven't read the books could get a better look into the story with a series coming out.
The entire Harry Potter movie franchise can be streamed on HBO Max.
Source: Bloomberg