Katarzyna Petru
HBO Max is increasingly boldly talking about its Harry Potter series, which is set to debut in early 2027. The production was announced in 2023 as a multi-year adaptation of the seven books by J.K. Rowling. According to the announcements, it will be a project planned for a decade and seven seasons, with greater narrative freedom than in the theatrical films. Warner Bros. Discovery officials suggest that the series will exceed the scale of the platform's previous productions. There are even comparisons to the biggest streaming hits of recent years. The ambitions are clear: HBO wants to create an event on an unprecedented scale.
“Next Level” in Terms of Movies
The head of global streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, J.B. Perrette, emphasized that the series format allows for storytelling in a way that is impossible to achieve in a two-hour film. Creators will delve into previously omitted plotlines and expand the world of wizards with greater attention to detail. The studio is announcing the production as the biggest event in HBO Max's history, and possibly even the entire streaming market.
Huge Budget and Multi-Year Plan
Although the official numbers have not been confirmed, industry estimates suggest costs of around $75–100 million per episode. With 6–8 episodes planned for the first season and a total of seven seasons, the total budget could reach several billion dollars. The series is to be produced with the highest production standards in mind, and HBO traditionally focuses on 4K HDR visuals and Dolby Atmos sound.
The cast includes Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, and J.K. Rowling serves as an executive producer and participates in the creative process. The author has previously publicly praised the first episodes of the script.
The Harry Potter series is to be one of the most ambitious projects in the history of HBO Max. A multi-year plan, a huge budget, and declarations about it being the "biggest event in streaming" clearly show the scale of expectations. The final result will only be known in 2027, but it is already evident that Warner Bros. Discovery aims to produce something that will define the next decade of the platform.
source: Deadline
