Harry Potter is headed back to the screen.
A television series based on J.K. Rowling’s series of novels about the boy wizard is being developed for Max, the upcoming Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service that will combine HBO Max and Discovery+, Deadline reports.
Harry Potter made his debut with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997; it was published in the U.S. a year later under the title Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Six more novels followed, with the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, being published in 2007.
The books became a publishing phenomenon, selling more than 600 million copies and serving as the basis for a series of blockbuster films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint.
The Max series will feature a different cast, and Rowling will be among its executive producers. “Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long form television series,” Rowling said.
In recent years, Rowling has become controversial for making a series of statements widely seen as hostile to transgender people. According to Variety, Casey Bloys, HBO and Max’s chief content officer, brushed off concerns about that controversy during a press interview, saying, “No, I don’t think this is the forum. That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated, and not something we’re going to get into.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
