Hey guys, it looks like Warner Bros. is gearing up for a Harry Potter reboot with a seven-season HBO series, with each season covering one of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World books. This news comes after Ron Weasley actor Rupert Grint predicted a Harry Potter remake would happen eventually, and even voiced his support for it being made into a TV series, although he also expressed interest in returning for a ninth movie.
However, the news is generating some controversy, given Rowling’s recent anti-transgender comments. Despite this, it seems that the author will still be involved in the reboot, according to insider Jeff Sneider. Apparently, Warner Bros. had initially planned to adapt the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play into a ninth movie with the original cast returning, but faced difficulties with bringing back Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson due to the controversy surrounding Rowling’s comments.
The studio then tried to buy Rowling out of the Wizarding World, but was unable to do so, as she asked for an “insane amount.” With the studio now bound to Rowling, they were left with no choice but to reboot the franchise. Although Warner Bros. seems to be serious about creating the show, Sneider suggested that it may also be used as leverage to try and convince Watson and Radcliffe to return for a ninth Harry Potter movie, under the threat of being replaced by other actors.
There has also been talk of pitches for Harry Potter stories set in America and Paris, but Rowling shot down these ideas, insisting that the series stay true to its British roots. It’s not surprising that she wants to protect the world she created, but it does suggest that the reboot will be similar in style to the original movies, just with more time to delve into parts of the books that were left out. Rowling makes an estimated $50 to $100 million annually from the Harry Potter franchise, including royalties from movies, books, games, theme parks, and merchandise.
A rebooted TV series would undoubtedly increase this figure significantly. While Rowling has to give the green light to any new projects in the Wizarding World, it’s unlikely that she’ll be heavily involved in the reboot. She had little involvement in the movies, serving only as a producer on the two Deathly Hallows and three Fantastic Beasts films. Brontë Film and TV, Rowling’s production company, recently saw profits drop by 74% due to the closure of performances of The Cursed Child play during the pandemic. The Harry Potter reboot may serve as an opportunity for Rowling to recoup some of those losses.
At this time, HBO’s Harry Potter series has not been officially confirmed by Warner Bros.
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