J.K. Rowling in talks to produce ‘Harry Potter’ series for HBO Max

nypost.com:

reported by Bloomberg, the show would be based directly on J.K. Rowling’s best-selling novels, with each season focusing on one book in the seven-book series.The potential series would not be based on an in-universe spin-off, such as the “Fantastic Beasts” films.The concept of one season per book suggests that the franchise would be an ongoing, years-long project from Warner Bros.Rowling is in preliminary talks to join the project as a producer and would have a degree of creative involvement, though she would not be the primary creator or showrunner of the series.Once Rowling is officially on board, the project is expected to look for a writer.There have long been talks about a “Harry Potter” television series, with rumors first sparking in January 2021 — although Warner Bros.

and HBO Max both previously denied rumors.“There are no ‘Harry Potter’ series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” Warner Bros.

and HBO Max said in a joint statement at the time.Rumors circulated again in September 2022 when Warner Bros. Discovery International boss Gerhard Zeiler highlighted the “development of franchises” for “Harry Potter” in a talk at the Royal Television Society convention in London.But HBO once again shot down the possibility of new “Harry Potter programming” in a statement to The Post at the time.

The rep clarified that Zeiler had only “spoke about the opening of the Tokyo Wizarding World not about a series or films,” adding that the January 2021 statement “still stands.”In the most recent “Harry Potter” project, HBO Max released the “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” documentary in January 2022 to celebrate the franchise’s two decades of success.The eight “Harry Potter” films.