HBO has locked in December 25, 2026 as the premiere date for its Harry Potter series, kicking off a seven-season retelling of J.K. Rowling’s seven books that’s expected to run for about a decade.
Gary Oldman, who played Sirius Black in the original Harry Potter films, says the HBO version may end up feeling more more satisfying than the movies for some viewers. His reasoning is pretty straightforward: giving each book its own season leaves room for the character detail, everyday school life, side plots, and emotional progression the films, even at nearly three hours, simply had to trim away. In some parts, he said, the show could even get close to the books word for word.
He isn’t saying that as a dig at the original franchise. Oldman has said he’s still grateful for those films, describes Harry Potter as a rare cultural phenomenon, and credits director Chris Columbus with building that world on screen and helping guide such a young cast through it.
If you’ve been waiting for a more faithful adaptation, there’s a good reason to keep an eye on this. Some fans are still uneasy, though, whether that comes from their attachment to the films, plain old franchise fatigue, or the casting of Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.
Rowling is attached as an executive producer, some reports have placed the budget at around $100 million per episode, and the cast includes Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout as Harry, Hermione, and Ron. John Lithgow, Janet McTeer, Paapa Essiedu, and Nick Frost will play Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Hagrid.
Season 1 will adapt Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and you’ll be able to watch it on HBO and HBO Max.
Author: Jesús Bosque
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