The Harry Potter franchise might make its way to the streaming platform as reports revealed a plan for a TV series iteration on HBO Max.
Warner Bros is keen on developing a Wizarding World on its new streaming platform. This means that there will not be just one Harry Potter TV series. The studio has plans to expand the mythology to a “slate of shows” on the small screen.
However, Warner Bros still cannot officially announce the plans due to contract negotiations. According to a scoop from Grace Randolph on Twitter, the streaming rights to the franchise are with NBCUniversal until 2022. However, Warner Bros has its eye on the prize and is “trying to cut a deal to end it earlier.”
Had a source reach out to me re my #HBOMax video…
seems #WarnerBros IS developing #HarryPotter shows but can’t announce until 2022 because
CONTRACTS!
Universal has the streaming rights until then, but WB is trying to cut a deal to end it earlier… pic.twitter.com/Eks7SOlGnZ
— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph) September 19, 2020
Dumbledore prequel TV series
According to We Got This Covered, one of the Harry Potter TV shows planned is a prequel series featuring Albus Dumbledore. Jude Law will most likely be asked to reprise his role as the Wizarding school’s headmaster.
However, the report stated that the show’s production won’t happen until the end of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The Harry Potter spinoff’s third movie is in the middle of preparations for filming. It has a tentative November 2021 theater release date. The original production date was slated for March 2020, but then the pandemic struck.
However, the fans’ interest for Fantastic Beast is reportedly on the decline following the real-life controversies hounding Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller and the creator of this wizarding universe, J.K. Rowling. Warner Bros has not commented on these controversies, according to Entertainment Weekly.
The studio is slowly shifting its focus to the streaming platform and the TV shows. In 2019, We Got This Covered also reported on Warner Bros’ plan for a show centering on Hogwarts, with new characters to differentiate from the movies.
Radcliffe likes the TV show idea
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe said that he’s 100 percent behind a TV show instead of a reboot on the big screen.
Speaking with TV Guide, the actor said that there are many stories from the books that are ripe for a television format. Radcliffe even suggested a TV show about the Mauraders: Gryffindor pals Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and James Potter.
“A series with the older generation? That could be very cool,” Radcliffe said.
Rowling’s people, on the other hand, said there are not aware of plans to do a Harry Potter TV show. For now, the reports remain speculative.
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