The Harry Potter TV Collection is Formally Taking place at Max – The Hollywood Reporter

It’s official: Harry Potter The TV collection is coming to the streaming service previously often known as HBO Max.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has revealed plans for a live-action TV collection primarily based on writer JK Rowling’s controversial books. Zaslav made the announcement Wednesday morning throughout a presentation that exposed how the HBO Max and Discovery + streaming channels will merge. As anticipated, it has formally been rebranded as HBO Max and is now referred to as “Max.”

Right here’s how the collection was described by Max: “The tales from every of Rowling’s Harry Potter books will grow to be a long-running collection produced with the identical epic craft, love and care that this world-class franchise is understood for. The collection will function a brand new forged to drive a brand new era of followers, filled with fascinating element, likable characters and places Dramas that Harry Potter followers have liked for over 25 years. Every season shall be genuine to the unique books and produce Harry Potter and these unbelievable adventures to new audiences around the globe, whereas the unique, traditional and beloved movies stay on the coronary heart of the franchise and out there to look at globally.”

The collection is from Warner Bros. TV and Bronte Movie and TV, and counts Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley Letts amongst its government producers. David Heyman, who has produced all eight function movies, is in talks to direct the manufacturing. The seek for a author and showrunner is ongoing.

“We’re thrilled to provide followers the chance to find Hogwarts in a complete new approach,” stated Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content material. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and there may be clearly an everlasting love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Tv and JK Rowling, this new Max Authentic collection will delve deeper into every of the long-lasting books that followers have continued to get pleasure from all these years.”

Rowling stated, “Max’s dedication to preserving the integrity of my books is vital to me, and I look ahead to being part of this new adaptation that can enable for a level of depth and element that solely a long-running TV collection can present.”

Stay motion Harry Potter The TV collection has been within the works since early 2021, when Hollywood Reporter I discussed completely that most of the concepts had been within the exploratory phases. Conferences with writers have been underway ever since as a part of the exploratory conferences.

After displaying Max, Bloys stated Harry Potter The TV collection shall be on a finances sport of thrones And Dragon home, with the latter’s first season grossing $125 million. “[It] This shall be scale or larger. No matter can be required to placed on a top quality present, Bloys stated when requested in regards to the potential finances for the programme.

WBD execs have additionally stated that the brand new collection gained’t cease them from taking over different tasks within the wider Harry Potter universe. “We’re free to do something we would like,” Zaslav stated. “Some areas we have to do with JK, different areas we’ve got full capability going ahead. It is a full publish on Max’s Harry Potter. We will nonetheless develop different properties.”

Curiosity in bringing Harry Potter to TV in latest months after the Warner Bros. merger. and Discovery. Zaslav, who oversees the mixed firm, has repeatedly expressed his want to do extra with the beloved franchise a couple of boy wizard.

Talking to buyers in November, Zaslav stated franchises shall be a key space of ​​focus for WBD. He famous on the time that the corporate had not completed something with Harry Potter in 15 years and hoped the corporate might do extra with Rowling. After intensive negotiations, Rowling shall be concerned as an government producer on the Harry Potter collection, though she isn’t anticipated to have day-to-day management or writing enter as she controls the royalties.

Warner Bros. TV shall be. Channing Dungey is the studio for the TV collection.

The Harry Potter franchise is a mainstay of Warner Bros. Rowling’s seven guide collection which have been tailored as eight function movies which have collectively grossed greater than $7 billion worldwide. Warners has it too Improbable Beasts Films and Harry Potter Stage present. Most lately, Warners discovered success with a Harry Potter twentieth anniversary reunion for HBO Max (which didn’t embrace Rowling) in addition to a quiz present for TBS.

The Harry Potter franchise has complicated rights points. Rowling controls the franchise and has a say in every part associated to the property. In 2016, NBCUniversal signed a wealthy seven-year rights cope with Warner Bros. Tv. Home TV Distribution which included the US broadcast, cable and broadcast rights to the Wizarding World collection. That deal, which expires in April 2025, included digital initiatives in addition to theme park content material and occasions. The settlement additionally implies that Warner executives need to strike a facet deal that enables all Harry Potter options to stream briefly on HBO Max when the service initially launched. Films at the moment are streaming on each Peacock and Max.

When requested particularly about Rowling’s controversial remarks about transgender people, Bloys declined to remark and as an alternative harassed that her Harry Potter tales are certainly inclusive. “JK is an government producer and her insights shall be useful. We’re within the Harry Potter enterprise. The TV present is new and thrilling, however we’ve been within the Harry Potter enterprise for 20 years; this isn’t a brand new choice,” stated Bloys, who’s homosexual. “We’re comfy being within the Potter enterprise. JK is an internet chat…it’s very refined and complex and never one thing we’re going to get into. Our precedence is what seems on the display screen. The Harry Potter story is an extremely constructive and empowering story about love and acceptance and that’s our precedence, what’s on display screen.”