The Story Behind Francesca Gardiner’s HBO Hire: Meet The Showrunner Tasked With Casting Another Spell On ‘Harry Potter’ Fans
deadline.comEXCLUSIVE: There is a sense of destiny in Francesca Gardiner being handed the keys to Hogwarts. The showrunner on HBO’s television adaptation of Harry Potter identifies with Hermione Granger and says she has always had an “unappealing desire to be top of the class.” Her rise to Harry Potter impresario, then, is her manifesting success on a grand scale.
Gardiner was picked for the job in June after a grueling four-month selection process involving J.K. Rowling‘s input. The wheels of the Hogwarts Express are now turning, with casting underway and the writers’ room expanding to include Killing Eve scribe Laura Neal.
As thelocomotive speeds towards a 2027 premiere, Gardiner can comfortably claim to be one of the most influential showrunners in the business.
The decisions she makes now could shape the careers of thousands of people for a decade, as well as catapult young actors to global stardom.
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