Posted in: Max, Movies, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: David Zaslav, harry potter, jk rowling, warner bros discovery

Harry Potter Series Eyes 2026; Zaslav, J.K. Rowling Discussed Project

WBD CEO David Zaslav says that the Harry Potter series is eyeing a 2026 premiere and that he met with J.K. Rowling to discuss the project.

With today being Warner Bros. Discovery's big Wall Street "dog-and-pony show," we were expecting a whole bunch of updates from WBD CEO David Zaslav and his crew on a whole number of projects (like Superman: Legacy, for example). For "Harry Potter" fans, that meant an update on the company's series adaptation of author & executive producer J.K. Rowling's popular series of novels. "We've not been shy about our excitement around Harry Potter. The last film was made more than a dozen years ago," Zaslav shared earlier this morning while also revealing that the series is expected to hit screens in 2026.

In fact, Zaslav and some other big names from WBD recently met with Rowling in London to discuss the project. "I was in London a few weeks ago with Casey [HBO & Max head Casey Bloys] and Channing [WBD TV head Channing Dungey], and we spent some real time with J.K. and her team. Both sides are thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead," Zaslav shared. "We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max."

Speaking with Variety last month, Warner Bros. TV Group head Channing Dungey offered an update on where things stood as initial creative planning began. "We're in conversations with a number of different writers to figure out who's going to be the person to lead that franchise for us," Dungey shared while also pushing back on reports that casting is already underway. "The first step for us is figuring out who this showrunner is going to be, and once we get that locked down, then we can start having those [casting] conversations." Dungey added, "The tricky part is the first two books, where the kids are on the younger end, around 11 or 12."

That same month, reports hit that writers Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran, Michael Lesslie, and others were commissioned by the streaming service to pitch their takes on a series adaptation. Rumblings were that the first round of pitches took place in Los Angeles, with the top picks moving on to pitch in the UK. In addition, it's said that the streamer is "open to the possibility of developing more than one idea based on Harry Potter" and that more than one writer from the pitching process could end up coming aboard the project.

The stories from each of Rowling's Harry Potter books will become (from the statement) "a decade-long series produced with the same epic craft, love, and care this global franchise is known for. The series will feature a new cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of fantastic detail, much-loved characters, and dramatic locations that Harry Potter fans have loved for over twenty-five years. Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic, and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally."

The series stems from Max in association with Brontë Film and TV & Warner Bros. Television. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts are set to executive produce, with David Heyman currently in talks to executive produce.

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