New Harry Potter show commitment leaves fans stunned

Harry Potter is back in the news after Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav revealed on an earnings call that the plan is for the new Harry Potter show to run for a decade on HBO Max.

Let's just say fans reacted the exact way we expected they would. Taking a quick look at the reactions online, some fans were happy, but the majority of fans were stunned that the series would take that long. There are even accusations of Warner Bros. stretching it out. Other fans couldn't believe how old the cast will be by the time the series finishes.

While I do think the episode counts are going to be an issue in the future, we should also remember it took a decade-ish to film and release all eight Harry Potter movies. So, I don't totally understand the outrage. There was no way they were going to do more than one book and season per year. Adapting all seven books would take at least seven years.

I have a few thoughts about this news and the reaction. First of all, this was basically confirmed when HBO announced the plans for the Harry Potter show. It was a seven-season commitment spread over the next decade. Obviously, on the surface, that seems like an incredibly long time. A decade? If we live to be 100 years old, we only get 10 of them in our life, you know? So, I agree that it feels like a long time.

In the world of streaming TV, though, a seven-season show usually takes way longer than 10 years. It's been nine years since Stranger Things premiered, and we've only seen four seasons. We had almost three years between new seasons of Wednesday. Most current fantasy shows release every two years, like House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power. The Last of Us had a two-year gap between seasons, too. The Bear is, like, the only premium show right now that releases new seasons every year.

Based on how long production is reported to take on season 1, I just have no idea how the production team is going to crank out seven seasons of Harry Potter in a decade. Reports indicate no expense is being spared on production. They're even building a school for the Harry Potter stars to attend while filming! It's a lot!

Still, it's an ambitious effort. I'd be willing to bet right now, though, that it'll take at least 12-ish years, assuming Warner Bros. sticks with the plan, to make all seven seasons. It might even take longer.

My other reservation is just the climate around Harry Potter right now. There's no doubt that this franchise is one of the most impactful stories of the last two or three decades, but if this show fails to stick the landing in the first few seasons, how will Warner Bros. justify keeping it running for 10 years? It's quite the gamble on a story that's been told in film less than 15 years ago.

When will the Harry Potter series premiere?

We're still quite a while from the Harry Potter series premiere, though. Production is officially underway in the UK this summer, but the series won't officially premiere until early 2027 on HBO Max.

Warner Bros. and HBO Max hasn't shared the official release window outside of that release year, but I can't imagine we have to wait longer than the summer of 2027. It should be one of the biggest releases, so I think the powers that be will be very strategic about when it's released. And, with that 10-year commitment, I'm sure they want to get that clock started as soon as possible!

That means, if Zaslav's correct, that we'll be seeing the Harry Potter series conclude sometime in 2037. I don't even know how to think that far ahead. We have a lot of stuff, as community, as a world, that we need to figure out long before then.

Harry Potter cast

We finally know most of the Harry Potter cast! There are still a few characters we don't know yet, but those will likely be revealed soon!

Check out the cast of the Harry Potter series!

That's what we know about the Harry Potter TV series so far! Stay tuned for more news and production updates!

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