HBO’s Harry Potter Reboot Series Lands Succession Team as Writer, Director

The Wizarding World is starting from scratch. After a decade of dominance on the big screen, Warner Bros. continued the Harry Potter legacy in theaters by expanding author JK Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts guide book into a feature film prequel series led by Eddie Redmayne. Through three installments, Fantastic Beasts ultimately failed to recapture the magic of the original Daniel Radcliffe-led pictures, and Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly axed plans to continue the franchise after 2022’s Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. The decision to park the Fantastic Beasts films did not mean the entire Wizarding World property was going dormant, as Warner Bros. Discovery announced in April 2023 that it had plans to reboot the mainline Harry Potter story for a streaming series on Max. 

While specifics about the show remain close to the vest, it was noted that Rowling will work on the project as an executive producer. Warner Bros. Discovery plans to adapt one book per season of the Harry Potter television series, and tentatively aims to debut the first installment in 2026. Recent reports also revealed that the series will received “HBO Original” branding as Warner Bros. Discovery looks to differentiate between HBO and Max originals.

HBO’s Harry Potter Lands Succession Team

You’re a wizard, Kendall Roy.

As announced in a press release, HBO’s Harry Potter has landed Francesca Gardiner as its showrunner, writer, and executive producer and Mark Mylod as executive producer and directors. 

Gardiner has a storied history of producing HBO shows, notably credited as one of the masterminds behind Succession, His Dark Materials, and Killing Eve. 

Mylod also has a number of high-profile HBO credits in his catalog, as he also worked on Succession with Gardiner while also having directed six episodes of Game of Thrones across that show’s fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons. He has also directed four episodes of The Last of Us Season 2, which releases in 2025. On the feature film side, Mylod helmed the critically-acclaimed The Menu in 2022.

HBO’s Harry Potter is promised to be a “faithful adaptation” of the book series and will feature “a new cast” that will “lead a new generation of fandom.” Beyond Gardiner and Mylod, HBO’s Harry Potter also features author JK Rowling, Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts, and David Heyman in executive producing roles.

HBO’s Harry Potter is currently in the developmental stage and is working towards a 2026 release.