It’s barely been a decade since the last Harry Potter film was released, but Harry’s story isn’t over yet: a Potter TV show is in the works.
The show – which will readapt the entire book series (one through seven) – was first announced in April 2023 by Warner Bros Discovery, before moving to HBO Max earlier this year.
During a recent presentation at Warner Bros Discovery’s London headquarters on December 5, an HBO executive confirmed several details about the show, while the rumour mill has churned out several names allegedly in talks to join the cast.
And now Nick Frost is the latest to be named, and is in talks to be taking on the role of half-giant Hagrid.
The actor-comedian could be joining the likes of John Lithgow, Janet McTeer and Paapa Essiedu, who are set or in negotiations to play Professor Albus Dumbledore, Professor Minerva McGonagall and Professor Severus Snape.
The return to the wizarding world will doubtless have long-term fans marking down their calendars until it comes out – here’s what we know so far.
It’s being released by HBO
The show is coming out on HBO Max in the US – aka the brains behind shows like Succession and House of the Dragon – which was recently rebranded to just Max.
“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me,” JK Rowling said in a press release announcing the news. “I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series.”
It is unclear where it will be shown in the UK, though if it follows other HBO shows like House of the Dragon and Succession it will be available on Sky Atlantic.
Is JK Rowling involved?
Yes, she’s coming on as executive producer – although her stance on gender issues has drawn a lot of controversy and press attention in recent years and has inevitably been raised ahead of this new show.
“Our priority is what’s on the screen,” Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO, said about it. “Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority, what’s on screen.”
The showrunner has been decided
A slow trickle of names has been announced over the past months. In June 2024, it was announced that Francesca Gardiner (who helped write TV series Succession) had been announced as showrunner – and fellow Succession alumnus Mark Mylod would be serving as director (having cut his teeth with episodes of Game of Thrones and The Last Of Us).
Who is rumoured to be cast in the show?
“My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Daniel Radcliffe recently told ComicBook.com.
“So I’m definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I’m very excited to have that torch passed. But I don’t think it needs me to physically pass it.”
One actor is close to signing, according to new reports, Nick Frost is reportedly in talks to play half-giant Rubeus Hagrid in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series.
According to Deadline, the Dagenham-born actor and comedian, 52, is poised to join the series.
Hagrid was previously portrayed on screen by the late actor Robbie Coltrane. The character is wizarding school Hogwarts’ warm and friendly gamekeeper and groundskeeper who eventually becomes the Care of Magical Creatures professor.
According to publication Variety, Frost could be joined by Sir Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall) who has been approached to play Professor Dumbledore, while The Holly Reporter said that Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, Black Mirror) has been in talks to play Severus Snape. Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy has been considered for the role of Voldemort.
There is still no news yet on who will play the young wizard, though.
However, Deadline recently suggested John Lithgow could be nearing a deal to star as Professor Dumbledore.
HBO did not confirm the rumours, though. “We appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumour and speculation,” the network said in a statement. “As we make our way through pre-production, we will only confirm details as we finalise deals.”
Lithgow most recently starred in the Oscar-nominated drama Conclave, which focused on the papal election, and he also starred in the LGBTQ family drama Jimpa.
Has production begun yet – and when is it coming out?
During the recent presentation, HBO chief executive Casey Bloys revealed that the season is scheduled to start filming in mid-2025. Production will take place at Warner Bros’ Leavesden Studios in Hertfordshire – the same place the famous films were shot.
There’s a while to wait yet, though: the current estimated release date for the Harry Potter series is 2026.
How many seasons will there be?
Surprisingly, not seven (as per the number of books): Max and Warner Bros confirmed that they were expecting a 10-season arc, which doubtless means that some of the books will be split across multiple years. What that looks like yet we don’t know, but we’ll keep you updated when we find out more.
