by Thinus Ferreira
The Harry Potter TV series that will run for a decade just like Friends will likely start two years from now in 2026, Warner Bros. Discovery says.
WBD is creating the Harry Potter drama series for its Max streamer which isn't available in South Africa but promised last year that the show will be made available globally.
It means the show - like for instance Paramount Global's Halo made for Paramount+ which isn't in South Africa but was acquired for Showmax or Netflix's Orange is the New Black and House of Cards which went to M-Net before Netflix was locally available - will have to find another platform.
It's still unclear whether M-Net (DStv 101) or MultiChoice's revamped streamer Showmax might be able to snag the as-yet-untitled series but like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon which was also from the WBD and HBO stable and went to M-Net, the show would be a big coup for whoever brings it to viewers in sub-Saharan Africa.
MultiChoice has existing deals with WBD and HBO in place for M-Net and Showmax making these the most likely outlet for the Hogwarts-set series.
In the company's 4th quarter earnings call on Friday, David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, said that "We've not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter".
"The last film was made more than a dozen years ago. I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey Bloys (HBO boss) and Channing Dungrey (WBD TV boss), and we spent some real time with J.K. Rowling and her team. Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise."
"Our conversations were great and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max. We're aiming for a debut in 2026."
WBD announced the Harry Potter TV series last year and promised that it would be a "faithful adaptation" of each of Rowling's seven Harry Potter books, stretching over a decade.
In a press release WBD said "Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally".
"We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way."
"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."