HBO‘s upcoming Harry Potter series is moving closer to becoming a reality. The HBO series has found its showrunner and director for several episodes.
On June 26, the official X page of Max, Warner Bros' streaming service, announced Francesca Gardiner as the showrunner. Gardiner will also executive produce the upcoming series as well. Mark Mylod will direct “multiple” episodes.
Mylod is known for his TV work. He has directed episodes of Entourage, Game of Thrones, and Succession. Additionally, he has directed four feature films. His latest was The Menu for Searchlight Pictures.
Francesca Gardiner produced several episodes of Succession and Killing Eve. Gardiner has also written episodes of The Man in the High Castle and His Dark Materials.
It is great to see that the Harry Potter series is coming together. Several fans on X responded to the news. “Okay well this has given me a little more hope,” one user said. “LFG,” another replied.
What is HBO's Harry Potter series about?
Presumably, the upcoming HBO series will adapt the Harry Potter books. If Percy Jackson has been any lesson, adapting one book per season works well. It allows filmmakers to flesh out the dense source material throughout several episodes. If this is the case, Philosopher's Stone is first up to be adapted.
And yes, the books were previously adapted into feature films. Across its eight movies, they have grossed billions of dollars. Even the spin-off movies have done well.
Aside from the eight Harry Potter movies, three Fantastic Beasts movies have been made. The three movies made $816 million, $655 million, and $407 million, respectively.
It does seem somewhat soon to reboot the franchise. Deathly Hallows Part 2, the final movie with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, came out in 2011. The Fantastic Beasts series commenced in 2016 and ended in 2022.
From the start, there was an audience for Harry Potter adaptations. The Philosopher's Stone — retitled Sorcerer's Stone in the United States — movie was released four years after the book and almost made $1 billion at the box office.
While some movies made more than others, all eight were successful. The lowest-grossing Harry Potter movie is Prisoner of Azkaban, which made $795 million.
Its peak was high, though. Deathly Hollows Part 2 made over $1.3 billion worldwide, the highest total in the entire series. The next closest were Sorcerer's Stone, Deathly Hallows Part 1 ($960 million), and Order of the Phoenix ($941 million).
The Harry Potter books
J.K. Rowling kicked off the 10-year Harry Potter journey in 1997 with Philosopher's Stone. Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, and Goblet of Fire followed in the following three years.
After a couple of years away, the series returned in 2003 with Goblet of Fire. Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hollows followed in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
The stories follow Harry, a young wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Throughout the series, Harry takes on Lord Voldemort.
The Harry Potter books remain one of the biggest properties in all of literature. Its legacy has only been furthered by the movie adaptations. Perhaps the upcoming HBO series can also cement its legacy.
Follow Us
Subscribe
