A ‘Harry Potter’ Television Series May Be In The Works

The wizarding world of Harry Potter may be returning, this time as a television series. Per Bloomberg, Warner Bros. and author JK Rowling are discussing turning the beloved book and film franchise into a new television series.

Warner Bros. is reportedly "close to a deal" to convince the author to produce a new series based directly on the books. The series will air on its new streaming service combining HBO Max and Discovery+. Sources said each season of the television series will be based on one of the seven books. The controversial author will be “involved in the series to ensure it remains loyal to her original material.” She will not be involved in the day-to-day running of the show or serve as its creator, Bloomberg’s sources say. Once Rowling signs off on the project, the media giant is expected to look for a writer.

While the proposal is “in talks," it is not near completion, The Independent reports. HBO Max and its then-parent company WarnerMedia started exploring a potential television series a couple of years ago. At the time, Warner Bros appointed Kids, Young Adult and Classics president Tom Ascheim to manage the Wizarding World and Potter franchises. This includes theme parks, tours and the $9.1 billion-grossing theatrical library that spans the Harry Potter and spinoff Fantastic Beasts titles. That's when Ascheim became WarnerMedia’s senior rep in its relationship with Rowling and her representatives. And that's when exploratory conversations for an HBO Max series got underway.

After the Discovery acquisition was completed a year ago, that unit was disbanded and Ascheim exited the company. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has focused on making the Harry Potter intellectual property as a priority. He has met multiple times with Rowling. And he has publicly supported the author who has been involved in an ongoing controversy over her comments on transgender issues.