hotly anticipated Harry Potter HBO Original Series has confirmed it will begin production next summer, with executive producers Mark Mylod and Francesca Gardiner promising the show will go deeper into the stories than ever before.
Exciting news from Harry Potter HQ today – where we learnt more details about the upcoming HBO Original Series, commencing production in summer, 2025, slated to launch on Max. Expect characters not seen in the original films and different locations to be involved – and also, discover just how many people auditioned to be Harry, Ron and Hermione! But despite the new additions, the show will be coming back to its roots where the original films were made, returning to Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
With the series now officially underway, we heard from director Mark and showrunner Francesca, who revealed their own love of the stories (‘I am a mega-fan like crazy!’ Francesca confessed) alongside the creative vision they want to bring to this retelling of the Harry Potter stories.
‘We have 8 hours to tell the first book’, the pair revealed, ‘so we can dig into the real depths and crevices and how the language of magic can evolve.’
‘We follow the ethos of the films to source some of the finest cream of British talent,’ Mark added.
‘We’re obsessed, basically!’ they joked.
We also learnt that over 30,000 (!) people auditioned for the roles of Harry, Ron and Hermione during the open casting call earlier this year, and although the golden trio have yet to be cast, Mark admitted they watched ‘every single audition’ and there’s ‘a couple of crackers.’
The new Harry Potter series will be a fresh adaptation of the books, going deeper into Harry’s story and featuring a brand-new cast for both old fans & new to get to know. We were also teased characters that are set to appear in the show that we did not visit in the films – such as the mischievous poltergeist Peeves!
‘We’ll get to have some fun with Peeves in the corridors!’ the duo divulged.
Iconic locations will return, of course, (‘we don’t want to mess with the likes of the Great Hall, but other elements of Hogwarts we will expand’) but Mark was also excited to explore other places not seen before, such as the Hogwarts staffroom, and examining the changing aesthetics of the school.
‘We went with the idea that Hogwarts is a real place,’ he explained, hoping to explore the architectural themes of the ancient castle and how they would evolve over time.
‘So there will be elements of Georgian architecture, attempts at naturalism. Because, of course, we have the luxury of long-form storytelling.’
‘We’re both massively fond of the movies, they’re amazing, what an amazing feat of creative pursuits,’ Francesca said. ‘We get a bigger sandpit to play in.’
Mark and Francesca were also keen to stay canonically accurate to the ages of certain characters, citing that Snape would’ve only been 31 in 1991, where the events of Philosopher’s Stone take place.
‘No one can replace Alan Rickman, but we can find the next generation,’ the pair added.
