Harry Potter TV series: Expected release date, story, cast and more

It’s official, a Harry Potter TV series is coming! For Potterheads everywhere, Max (formerly HBO Max) have confirmed that a show based on all seven books is on its way and we could not be more excited. So, dust off your wands and broomsticks because here is everything you need to know about the new Harry Potter TV series.

While a casting announcement hasn't officially been confirmed, the internet is rife with speculation over who might take on the main Harry Potter roles. While these are currently just rumours, fans are expecting to see:

Toby Woolf as Harry Potter

The British actor previously appeared in Rare Beasts, a film by Billie Piper, as well as Disney+ series Pistol and The Last Post. He is 13.

Bronte Carmichael as Hermione Granger

17-year-old Bronte Carmichael is reportedly being considered for the role of Hermione. She played Leida in Andor, Madeline in Christopher Robin and played Martha, one of Varys' network of spies, in season eight of Game Of Thrones.

Joshua Pickering as Ron Weasley

Joshua Pickering starred as John in the most recent adaptation of Peter Pan and Wendy, with the likes of Jude Law and Yara Shahidi, while he also played Jack in A Discovery Of Witches.

What we do know is that Daniel Radcliffe won't be reprising his role as Harry Potter or making a cameo in the new series. He told ComicBook.com, “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.

“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.”

“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,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content about the project.

In the announcement on Twitter, HBO Max (or Max, I guess, we can’t get used to the change just yet) said the show will be “a faithful adaptation of the iconic books” meaning there will hopefully be lots more details about the wizarding world.

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The series is expected to air in 2026, according to multiple reports, so fans have a while to wait. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav told Wall Street analysts on a company call in February 2024 that 2026 felt likely, explaining, "We’ve not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter.

"I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey [Bloys, CEO of HBO] and Channing [Dungey, chairperson of Warner Bros Television]... Both sides just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great."

Max have shared that the series is set to be a decade long – yes, really! That’s ten years' worth of Harry Potter content for us to get stuck into - which debunks the previous theory that each series would be based around one book. There are seven books in the series - so maybe, like in the film series, a couple of them might be split into two separate seasons?

While MAX have announced they're developing the series for the US, the streaming platform isn't currently available in the UK, so fans are wondering how we might actually be able to watch it over here.

That said, HBO shows are often available on NOW in the UK, like House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, so fingers crossed it will be available on an Entertainment Pass!

Entertainment Passes are available for £6.99 a month if you sign up to a six month minimum term, or in a special deal along with access to NOW Entertainment for £13.99 a month. If you want a fully flexible Entertainment pass, which means you can cancel at any time, it will cost you £9.99 a month.

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Max have confirmed that J.K. Rowling will be an executive producer on the series, despite being heavily criticised for her comments made against transgender people.

“Our priority is what’s on the screen,” Casey said about J.K. Rowling’s involvement in the show. “Obviously, the Harry Potter story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority, what’s on screen.”

According to Deadline's February 2023 report about the series, Warner Brothers have invited a number of different directors, producers and creators to pitch ideas for the new series - including Succession writer Francesca Gardiner. Others on the shortlist reportedly include Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran, and Michael Lesslie, with a source commenting, "It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans, most of whom have some experience working with streamers and many of whom have shepherded projects in the sci-fi/fantasy space."