Harry Potter reboot reportedly on the way to HBO

We knew it was only a matter of time, but did we really expect it to happen this soon? HBO is reportedly gathering its Galleons and is ready to splash out on a live-action Harry Potter reboot - yes, all seven books. 

We know it's been 22 years since Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone changed the fantasy movie genre forever, but with Deathly Hallows: Part 2 coming out in 2011 and the Fantastic Beasts movies running from 2016 to 2022, we haven't had much respite from the Potterverse.

Disclaimer: While the creator of the Harry Potter franchise was not directly involved in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, their comments on social media around transgender people are hurtful and dangerous given the size of their platform.

We’d implore you to read our explainer of the controversy so far, and consider supporting trans rights charities where possible.

• UK:
  • Mermaids
  • Switchboard

• US:
  • The Trevor Project
  • Trans Lifeline

What is the Harry Potter reboot?

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While Chris Columbus' first few Harry Potter movies remained loyal to the books, the series later struggled to pack the myriad of stories and characters into its runtime, meaning a lot was left banished to the Forbidden Forest - justice for Madam Hooch. 

David Yates did a good job of adapting the darker aspects of the franchise's later books, however, most agree we lost the magic of the early years. Keen to try it all over again, Deadline reports that a live-action Harry Potter reboot is coming to the network. 

The site says Bloomberg (paywalled) was first, with sources saying each season will cover one of the books. If this is the case, it would lock a live-action Harry Potter reboot in for a whopping seven seasons. As HBO well knows with Game of Thrones, committing to a certain number of seasons is a dangerous game.

Then again, the network has recently been at the top of its game, with House of the Dragon and The Last of Us being two of the biggest shows in recent years. It remains to be seen what interest there is in the idea, especially with the Fantastic Beasts series coming to an unfortunate end last year. 

Is J.K. Rowling involved in the Harry Potter reboot?

The elephant in the room is the involvement of J.K. Rowling. Despite being the creator of the franchise, Rowling's outspoken views on the transgender community has split fandom down the middle. The site claims that the author is being sought to produce, while the search for a writer is underway.

Leads Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Daniel Radcliffe have condemned Rowling's stance, while the latter recently starred in the Sharing Space series supporting LGBTQ+ youths. Considering the big three have distanced themselves from Rowling, it would've been hard to do the long-rumoured Cursed Child movie.

Then again, Rowling being part of the reboot comes as no surprise. If being the overseer of the Potterverse wasn't enough, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has explained the importance of the studio's franchises and spoken out in support of Rowling - saying he was keen to work with her on the IP. 

We don't know the full story, as while Bloomberg claims WB is "nearing" a deal, IGN's sources claim it's far from happening. Either way, you've got a hell of a task to top the casting of Rickman, Smith, Fiennes, and the rest.