Move over, Game of Thrones—HBO has finally found your replacement

HBO had huge success with Game of Thronesa fantasy series based on the books by George RR Martin. Between its strong audience and its significant cultural impact, Game of Thrones has become a once-in-a-generation spectacle. While I got The spin-offs were successful, but they failed to reach the unfathomable heights of their predecessor. HBO is clearly looking for its next one Game of Thrones. Could the next big show be Harry Potter?

Warner Bros. bet it all on The Boy Who Lived, like Harry Potter is coming to HBO and HBO Max at the end of the year. Judging by the first response from the trailer, Harry Potter will be massive. It remains to be seen how big that will be, but HBO clearly believes its adaptation of JK Rowling’s work could have a seismic impact on the television landscape.

HBO’s next decade will be defined by Harry Potter

The network can’t afford for the show to fail

Credit: Aidan Monaghan/HBO

The only thing Hollywood loves more than intellectual property (IP) is money. In an age where original stories are rare, intellectual property remains the lifeblood of entertainment. That’s not to say HBO doesn’t have original hits. The Pitt just dominated the awards circuit, the new season of Euphoria should attract massive audiences, and The White Lotus continues to gain popularity. However, the two most-watched current shows, Dragon House And The last of usare based on an existing IP address.

The last seasons of Dragon House And The last of us are on the horizon. Dragon House season 3 is expected to premiere in June, with a fourth and final season likely scheduled for 2028. The last of us Currently filming season 3, which could be the last, although a fourth season could be necessary to conclude the series. The fact is that by the end of 2030, both shows will likely have finished airing. HBO needs to find the next action-packed adventure, backed by huge sets and memorable characters, to travel to the 2030s.

The club leader who will carry this torch is Harry Potter. The first teaser for season 1, now titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone— became the most-watched trailer in the history of HBO and HBO Max, with more than 277 million organic (non-paid) views across its platforms in the first 48 hours.

We barely made it to the first round for HBO Harry Potter unfold. The studio plans to adapt all seven of Rowling’s books, with season 1 covering the first book. Due to the size and scope of the show, don’t expect a new season every year. Casey Bloys, chief content officer (CCO) of HBO and HBO Max, told the Times: “It’s not going to be annual; the show is too big and too massive. But…they’re writing season two now.”

Warner Bros. CEO Discovery’s David Zaslav previously said (via Collider) that the series would run for ten years. Zaslav’s quotes came ahead of Paramount’s potential acquisition of WBD, which, depending on whether the sale is approved, could disrupt that of Harry Potter chronology. There are conflicting rumors about how much each episode will cost. It’s expensive though, and if HBO adapts all seven books, the final price tag will be in the billions.

Investing that much money into revamping a $7.7 billion movie franchise is as risky as it gets. I don’t need to state the obvious, but I will anyway: HBO needs Harry Potter not only for working but also for being a massive phenomenon.

What we know about the Harry Potter series

Welcome back to Hogwarts

In 2023, Warner Bros. Television ordered Harry Potter series for HBO Max and described it as a “faithful adaptation of the beloved book series.” The emphasis on a faithful adaptation was evident in the first trailer. This wasn’t a shot-for-shot remake of the first film, but the teaser featured several. Harry Potter must-sees including Hogwarts, the iconic uniforms and the Quidditch pitch.

Dominic McLaughlin headlines the series as Harry Potter. Joining him in the main cast are Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley, John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

HBO is led by Succession alums Francesca Gardiner, the writer, executive producer and showrunner; and Mark Mylod, an executive producer who will direct several episodes. Mylod is becoming one of the channel’s top directors, having been behind the camera for Connor’s weddingg, his Emmy-winning directing effort on Succession. Mylod also produced Through the valley, the epic attack on Jackson in The last of us season 2.

David Heyman, who produced all eight films, is executive producer of the series alongside Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

How will audiences react to Harry Potter?

Alpha Generation Harry Potter or nostalgia bait for millennials?

Credit: Aidan Monaghan/HBO

Each time a project is developed, I ask myself the same question: who is this show for? In that of Harry Potter In this case, it’s for two distinct audiences. The first is Generation Alpha and parts of Generation Z. Some of these children were born after the last film in the franchise, 2011’s. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. Warner Bros. certainly hopes the HBO series could be the younger generation’s live-action adaptation of the books, with McLaughlin, not Daniel Radcliffe, as Harry Potter.

The other audience is millennials, the group who grew up with Harry Potter books and discovered films first hand. I remember very well the people waiting at the bookstore in my town for the midnight release of Deathly Hallows. Could people born after 2010 even explain a midnight exit? These days, they probably place an order on Amazon and read it on their Kindle.

So far, millennials seem divided on the show. On the one hand, the more chances there are to discover the magic of Harry Potter maybe it’s time well spent. On the other side of the coin are fans who want nothing to do with the TV series. Books and films are enough; why risk ruining perfection? Additionally, many dedicated book lovers are disappointed with Rowling, whose polarizing comments towards the transgender community have divided the fan base.

Credit: Lara Cornell/HBO

I didn’t need to see the teaser audience to predict that this show would be a success. It probably won’t reach Stranger Things Or Squid game audience levels. However, I think it will become HBO’s most-watched show of all time and could become the most-watched non-Netflix show of all time. This is an iconic IP on a global streaming service that will attract a large audience. Commercially, HBO has its next Game of Thrones. Will it also achieve the same critical success? No magic spell can provide this answer at the moment.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres Christmas 2026 on HBO and HBO Max.

Harry Potter

Release date

2026 – 2026

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Marc Mylod

What else is on HBO Max?

This month on HBO Max, say goodbye to Tipsthe Emmy Award-winning series starring Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder. The remarkable comedy will conclude with its upcoming fifth season, which premieres on April 9, 2026. Elsewhere, try streaming one of the streamer’s under-hyped shows, including Love life And Station eleven.

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Concurrent streams

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