Harry Potter gets ‘decade-long’ TV adaptation – will remain ‘faithful’ to original JK Rowling books

Forthcoming series will ‘feature a new cast’

Warner Bros has announced it is moving forward with its plans to adapt the first-ever Harry Potter TV series.

Just last week, The Independent confirmed that the company was “in talks” with JK Rowling to try and convince her to produce a new show based on her bestselling book series.

During an event on Wednesday (12 April) to announce the merger of Discovery+ and HBO Max into a new streaming service, Max, Warner Bros confirmed that it has ordered an “original Harry Potter scripted series”.

“The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling,” a press release reads.

It is expected to become a “decade-long series” with each season based on one of the seven books and will “feature a new cast”.

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World.

“This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

Daniel Radcliffe in the third ‘Harry Potter’ film (Warner Bros)

The controversial author will also be involved to “ensure it remains loyal to her original material”.

“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 added in a statement.

Rowling’s production company Brontë Film and TV, which recently reported a 74 per cent drop in profits, will work in association with HBO Max.

Warner Bros produced the original eight films based on the book series, which generated more than $7.7bn (£6.2 bn) at the worldwide box office.

The English author has been the subject of sustained backlash due to her stance on transgender issues, which some critics have characterised as “transphobic”.

You can read The Independent’s timeline of JK Rowling’s comments about women and transgender rights here.