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Credit: Warner Bros.If you thought we were at peak Harry Potter, think again.
The Wizarding World is entering one of its busiest eras in over a decade. Warner Bros. Discovery is deep into production on its long-awaited Harry Potter reboot, a project set to reintroduce J.K. Rowling’s seven-book saga to a new generation through a multi-season HBO series.
The show — now fully cast and already in production — has confirmed its young trio: Dominic McLaughlin (Harry Potter), Arabella Stanton (Hermione Granger) and Alastair Stout (Ron Weasley). They’re joined by a supporting ensemble including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore (breaking Rowling’s rule of ‘no Americans’ in the original adaptation), Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, and Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape.
Filming kicked off earlier this year at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the UK — the same complex where Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and the rest of the cast brought the original eight films to life. Some fans have questioned the reboot’s visual similarities, yet Warner Bros. maintains the series will dig deeper into the books’ storylines. Early set images already suggest that promise is being fulfilled.
Alongside the reboot, the Harry Potter franchise is expanding on Audible, where a new audiobook series is rolling out on a monthly schedule. The first installment, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone, debuted on November 4. Chamber of Secrets follows on December 16.
Prisoner of Azkaban arrives January 13, 2026; Goblet of Fire on February 10, 2026; Order of the Phoenix on March 10, 2026; Half-Blood Prince on April 14, 2026; and Deathly Hallows on May 12, 2026. It marks one of the most ambitious audiobook release calendars the series has seen.
Work Begins on ‘Harry Potter’ Season 2
With so much activity surrounding the brand, the next few years are shaping up to be remarkably stable for Harry Potter fans. That momentum is strengthened by confirmation that work on the reboot’s second season is already underway, even as cameras continue rolling on Season 1.
HBO and HBO Max chief Casey Bloys confirmed the development during a press preview at the company’s Hudson Yards headquarters in New York (via Variety), saying, “They’re still shooting Season 1, obviously. They’re writing Season 2. So the plan is to try and get it — I don’t know if it’s going to be like, stop shooting Season 1 on Friday and start Season 2 on Monday.”
“There will be a break in there,” Bloys added. “But we’re going to do whatever we can to not have a huge gap, for the kids, obviously, but also for viewers. We’re trying not to have massive gaps. It is a big show. Lots of special effects, obviously, a massive operation. But we’re going to do what we can, for the kids ages, but also for viewers as well.”
With the first season following the events of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, the second will recreate Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This sees Harry trying to crack the mystery of the Heir of Slytherin as a monster starts petrifying his fellow Hogwarts students.
Confirmation of the show’s second season arrived shortly after another major development: J.K. Rowling’s first set visit.
According to Deadline, the author visited Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden on November 19 to check on the production’s progress and meet with creative leads shaping the new television adaptation.
Rowling’s appearance drew attention beyond the reboot itself. The author has remained a controversial figure in recent years due to her public comments on transgender issues, sparking widespread criticism and prompting ongoing debate about the legacy of the Harry Potter franchise.
It’s also sparked conflict with the franchise’s stars. Watson recently addressed her current relationship with Rowling on the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast, in which she said, “It’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”
Rowling later posted a lengthy rant about Watson on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Emma and Dan in particular have both made it clear over the last few years that they think our former professional association gives them a particular right – nay, obligation – to critique me and my views in public,” she wrote. “Years after they finished acting in Potter, they continue to assume the role of de facto spokespeople for the world I created.”
Are you excited for the Harry Potter reboot?