With any new Harry Potter project, something huge often follows—that iconic John Williams score. But for the new Harry Potter show on HBO, that doesn’t seem to be the case. At least, not in the way fans may think, according to Hans Zimmer.
In an interview with Collider, composer Hans Zimmer (who is set to compose the music for the new show) said that he’s not going to compose his music anywhere close to what John Williams did for the original Harry Potter series because, in his words:
“I love the movies, and I love having fun with it. I can't write like John Williams, but even if I could, I would try to stay away as far as possible and try to be original.”
I’m sure that at first glance, for Harry Potter fans, that almost feels like a red flag. The adaptation is meant to be much more book-accurate, which many Potterheads are excited for, including myself. But we all agree that the score for the original films, even if it isn’t as accurate, is iconic.
But I’m here to tell you why that is actually a good thing—a really good thing.
Hans Zimmer isn’t any old composer
The biggest point is that HBO didn’t just get any old composer for the Harry Potter series. They got Hans Zimmer, a composer who tours with his original pieces because they are so iconic.
Just for example, he has composed the scores for the following films: Gladiator, The Lion King, Interstellar, Inception, both Dune films, The Dark Knight trilogy, The Prince of Egypt, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, F1 — I mean, the list goes on, and on, and on.
He’s not a bad composer by any means and has arguably created some of the most iconic modern soundtracks of all time.
While John Williams is an iconic composer and a master of his craft, even late in his career, Hans Zimmer is right up there, with amazingly crafted melodies, harmonies, and music that stays with you for ages. It makes you feel something.
And this isn’t the first time Zimmer has composed for a TV show. He composed the soundtrack for the third season of Euphoria and created iconic theme music for several major shows, including The Crown on Netflix, Sons of Liberty, The Bible, and more.
So if you’re worried about his pedigree, you do not need to fret.
This series is for a new generation, so new music makes sense
We are the group of kids who grew up with Harry Potter, so of course, we are used to the music that we grew up listening to. Even now, years after I watched Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, I still listen to “Buckbeak's Flight” daily because it’s whimsical and ethereal and makes me feel like I’m literally in Hogwarts as I type.
But for a new series meant not only to grow the fandom but also to share the story with a new generation of children, I think new music that fits a new vibe makes sense. Do I think it’ll be exactly as magical as Williams’ score? No, but that’s the point. They’re trying to do something different with this, and I think Zimmer is the composer to do it.
At the end of the day, it’s just TV
Another important point: while I think this is a good thing for the Harry Potter series as a whole, here’s a quick reminder—this is just TV. While the headline at first—that Zimmer plans to make his soundtrack nothing like John Williams—can be daunting, several key factors make this much less scary.
HBO rarely misses with its shows. Zimmer has an excellent track record with his scores and soundtracks. And Harry Potter is already a beloved franchise that is adored by millions upon millions of people. All the ingredients are coming together to form the perfect potion, and we need to take a deep breath and trust the process. It's all great television, and so far, things are going well.
There have already been casting announcements for season 2, like Gilderoy Lockhart and even a new Ginny Weasley. Filming is, thankfully, ongoing. So why should we worry about Hans Zimmer writing something that isn’t close to John Williams’ original score? If anything, I’m relieved.
That means we won’t be constantly comparing. We can appreciate the talent Zimmer is giving us and, at the same time, enjoy it for what it is: very entertaining television.
The new Harry Potter series will premiere on Dec. 25, 2026, on HBO.
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