The Harry Potter TV Series

Based on the beloved children’s book series by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter tells the story of a young boy who becomes pivotal to saving the Wizarding World.

Orphaned after losing his parents to a dark power whose name people still fear to say, Harry is raised by his cruel Aunt and Uncle – the Dursleys – in Surrey, England.

However, on his 11th birthday, he gets the shock of his life when he discovers he’s not any normal kid, he’s a wizard! And it is time for him to enrol at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Moving from the “Muggle” world into the fantastical hidden world of magic, Harry is surprised to discover he is famous – for he is The Boy Who Lived, the only person to have ever survived an encounter with the evil wizard Voldemort.

As he settles into his new life to learn about magic, Harry soon discovers the power of friendship is greater than any spell, as he and his new friends face terrible foes, including trolls, giant spiders, three-headed guard dogs, and… worse still, potions class.

Launching as a series of seven books from 1997 to 2007, the story was later adapted into a enormously successful film series from 2001 to 2011.

The new Harry Potter series with HBO Max will retell each story, with the serialised format allowing for even more details from the original stories that may have been omitted from the cinematic adaptations. The first season – based on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – is set to air Christmas 2026.

The first season of Harry Potter is set to run for eight, hour-long episodes.

It will be based around the events of the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros Discovery, has said that he plans for the show to run for seven seasons – one for each book – across a 10-year period.

In the main book series, there are seven Harry Potter novels.

They are:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Each gets notably darker in tone as the children grow up within the books.

On top of that, there are also a series of companion books available, bringing to life elements of the story.

• The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a story book read by wizarding children

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an educational book on the reading list of the children of Hogwarts.

You can also get a printed version of the script of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a play set in Harry Potter’s future, where he, Ron, Hermione and other recognisable faces are now grown-up.

Harry Potter is bringing a cast of new up-and-coming young stars to the screen – as well as an established list of famous British faces to bring the tale to life.

The main kids of Harry Potter are:

• Dominic McLaughlin (Gifted, Grow) as Harry Potter

• Newcomer Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley

• Newcomer Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger

• Lox Pratt (Lord of the Flies) as Draco Malfoy

• Newcomer Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom

• Newcomer Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan

• Tristan Harland (The Last Kingdom) as Fred Weasley

• Gabriel Harland (The Last Kingdom) as George Weasley

• Newcomer Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley

The teachers and staff at Hogwarts are:

• John Lithgow (Dexter, 3rd Rock From The Sun) as Albus Dumbledore

• Janet McTeer (KAOS, Ozark) as Minerva McGonagall

• Paapa Essiedu (Gangs of London, I May Destroy You) as Severus Snape

• Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) as Rubeus Hagrid

• Stage actor Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell

• Paul Whitehouse (The Fast Show, The Change) as Argus Filch

• Louise Brealey (Sherlock, Such Brave Girls) as Madam Hooch

• Warwick Davis (Willow, Life’s Too Short) as Filius Flitwick

• Bertie Carvel (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Dalgliesh) as Cornelius Fudge

Actors playing the parents, guardians and family members of the children include:

• Johnny Flynn (Lovesick, Ripley) as Lucius Malfoy

• Bel Powley (A Small Light, The Morning Show) as Petunia Dursley

• Daniel Rigby (Summerwater, Landscapers) as Vernon Dursley

• Newcomer Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley

• Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd, Rivals) as Molly Weasley

• Gracie Cochrane (Blitz) as Ginny Weasley

These are just some of the dozens of cast members already announced to be filling the Wizarding World!

Harry Potter has been rated TV-14 by HBO Max. This means that the program may contain material unsuitable for children under 14 years old, and parents are strongly cautioned. This is a slight step up from the rating given to the theatrical series, which was rated PG throughout by the BBFC.

Harry Potter will be coming to HBO Max – available through Sky - for Christmas 2026.

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