The Harry Potter franchise is getting rebooted as a TV series at HBO, and today it has been officially announced that production has commenced on the series, with filming taking place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, UK. The press release notes that the series “will debut in on HBO and HBO Max where it’s available, including in upcoming launch markets Germany, Italy, and the UK.”

The cast includes John Lithgow as Dumbledore, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Johnny Flynn as his father Lucius Malfoy, Bel Powley and Daniel Rigby as Petunia Dursley and Vernon Dursley, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley. As minister for magic Cornelius Fudge, we have Bertie Carvel. As Hogwarts students Seamus Finnigan, Parvati Patil, and Lavender Brown, the show has cast newcomers Leo Earley, Alessia Leoni, and Sienna Moosah. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout star as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Along with the “filming is underway” announcement comes the revealing of more names: Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Louise Brealey as Madam Rolanda Hooch, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.

Each season of the Harry Potter TV series is said to cover one of J.K. Rowling’s novels, for a total of seven seasons. While the movies were able to fit quite a lot in, there were plenty of moments cut from the novels that the TV series will finally be able to bring to life. Last year, HBO released a statement saying, “Each season will be authentic to the original books and bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and beloved films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally.” 

The synopsis for the show says, “The franchise follows the life of a young wizard, the titular Harry Potter, whose parents died under mysterious circumstances when he was very young. He was forced to live a life of misery and servitude to his aunt and uncle and their awful son before he was freed from his gilded cage when Hagrid extended an invitation that changed his life forever. The adventure begins as Harry and his magical friends Ron and Hermoine become students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who come of age in a time of extreme turmoil where the threat of war looms close.”

Succession‘s Francesca Gardiner serves as a writer and showrunner on the series, while Mark Mylod signed on to executive produce and direct multiple episodes. The project was originally developed solely for HBO Max but made the leap to HBO last summer.

Are you looking forward to the Harry Potter TV series, and are you glad to hear that it’s now filming? Let us know by leaving a comment below.