Credit: Warner Bros.Warner Bros. just dropped some huge Harry Potter news.
After more than two decades, the Wizarding World is stepping into a new era with the franchise’s most ambitious project since the original films concluded. A full-scale reboot is currently in production for HBO, with Warner Bros. promising to retell J.K. Rowling’s seven novels across multiple seasons. The series, slated for release in 2027, will feature a completely new cast stepping into some of the most iconic roles in modern cinema.
Newcomer Dominic McLaughlin has been cast as Harry Potter, with Alastair Stout taking on Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton stepping into the role of Hermione Granger. They’ll join John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, and Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall.
The show’s first season – which is inspired by Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” – will also introduce some characters who were omitted from the original film adaptation, such as Dudley Dursley’s friend Piers Polkiss and Charlie Weasley.
A Return to the Beginning of ‘Harry Potter’
Before we get a chance to see this new take on the Wizarding World on the big screen, Warner Bros. has confirmed that the original adaptation, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), will return to theaters in 2026 to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The re-release is reportedly part of a year-long celebration across the studio’s divisions, designed to both honor the film’s legacy and introduce the magic to a new generation.
“This anniversary not only celebrates the legacy of the original film but also introduces the magic to a new generation,” Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products group said (via Variety).
For fans who grew up with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, it’s a chance to relive their first steps into Hogwarts. For younger audiences, it offers a rare opportunity to experience the story in cinemas for the very first time.
The 2001 film launched one of the most successful franchises in movie history, telling the story of Harry Potter’s first year at Hogwarts. Audiences were introduced to Quidditch, moving staircases, and a climactic battle with Lord Voldemort. Its imagery and performances became cultural touchstones, shaping how millions around the world visualized Rowling’s books and inspiring Universal’s famous Wizarding World of Harry Potter lands at its theme parks.
Recent Controversy Around ‘Harry Potter’
The reboot was already facing an uphill battle. Many fans have asked why the story needs to be retold so soon, particularly when the original films remain accessible and continue to dominate streaming charts. Early set photos, including images of the Hogwarts Express, have been criticized for looking too similar to the OG movies, further fueling concerns that the new project will lack originality. Even Chris Columbus – director of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and its follow-up, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) – has questioned the wisdom of revisiting the saga when the films still resonate with audiences.
And then there is J.K. Rowling. Since 2020, the author’s public comments on transgender rights have provoked fierce backlash, dividing the fanbase and straining ties with the franchise’s stars. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all spoken out in support of trans rights, while Rowling has criticized their stance.
Most recently, Rowling shared a spoof of Watson’s interview. This was followed by a lengthy rant on her X profile in response to Watson’s comments about her relationship with the author in the wake of her anti-trans comments. Despite Watson’s comments being widely regarded as gracious, Rowling wrote, “Like other people who’ve never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”
The controversy has left many questioning whether future Wizarding World projects can ever totally be separated from her views, no matter how carefully Warner Bros. tries to distance the work from its creator. With the anniversary re-release throwing the spotlight back onto the original films and their cast, the contrast with new projects and Rowling’s public presence today will only become sharper.
How do you feel about the upcoming Harry Potter reboot?