Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has already locked in a third season. HBO’s Harry Potter series is moving forward too, pitched as a faithful reboot of all seven J.K. Rowling books.
The big split between them comes down to approach. The Rings of Power reaches back into Tolkien’s Second Age, thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, so it has room to tell a mostly original story and sidestep the kind of direct, scene-by-scene comparison with Peter Jackson’s films that would be hard to escape.
HBO’s Harry Potter is choosing the harder path. Viewers are being asked to sign on for a decade-long , season-by-season retelling, with Season 1 expected in 2026, which means every casting pick, visual decision, and emotional moment will be measured against movies that still don’t feel very old.
HBO has cast Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout. Rowling is on board as an executive producer. And the project is already under a microscope because of casting arguments, Rowling’s public comments, and reports that some directors passed on getting involved.
If you’re looking for the safer fantasy bet, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power looks like the easier one to back. Harry Potter could still land, though, especially if the longer format gives side characters, subplots, and bits of world-building the space the films had to cut.
You’ll find The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video. Season 3 premieres November 11, 2026, with a time jump and a narrative reset, and Season 4 is already in development. Harry Potter is headed to HBO.
Author: Jesús Bosque
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