Harry Potter TV Series Is in Talks at HBO Max and Warner Bros.
Each season will reportedly follow one of J.K. Rowling's books.
HBO Max and Warner Bros. are officially in talks on a TV adaptation of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, a source close to the situation tells IGN.
Earlier today, a Bloomberg report, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, said that the series was "near a deal" on the series for HBO, which would reportedly cover each book one season at a time. IGN's source, however, clarifies that Warner Bros. is "nowhere near a deal," while the project remains in talks.
IGN has also learned that, should a deal go through, the series would be developed as an HBO Max Original, rather than for HBO proper.
The series has long been rumored as Warner Bros. continues to look for ways to cash in on one of its most profitable franchises. Various reports have long swirled about its development, although Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max's head of originals, threw some cold water on the rumors last year, telling Variety that "we don't have a series in active development right now," while leaving the possibilities open.
"There's nothing like a Harry Potter fan in terms of their endless appetite for storytelling and new ways of interacting with these characters," she said at the time. "So whether it's the reunion or live events or games, we're very much in the business of creating new content for those fans and thinking what to do next."
Warner Bros.' attempts to keep the Harry Potter franchise alive have seen some mixed results, though. Warner Bros. Games announced in February that Hogwarts Legacy sold more than 12 million units in its first two weeks, making it their biggest debut ever despite the ongoing controversy surrounding Rowling and her anti-trans rhetoric.
However, their most recent entry in the Fantastic Beasts spinoff film series, The Secrets of Dumbledore, just barely broke even during its theatrical run, grossing just $405 million globally. According to Variety, the diminishing returns on the series have put the previously planned fourth and fifth films in limbo.
Last November, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav clarified that the studio is "focusing on franchises," pointing to properties like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Lord of the Rings as examples. Just earlier today, a new Game of Thrones prequel was reported, and the studio confirmed in February that it was developing new Lord of the Rings movies.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
