Harry Potter Reboot TV Series Officially Coming, Will Span 10 Years With New Cast

I have good news and bad news and, well, they're both the same and whichever it is depends entirely on you. Go with God, people.

After previous reports indicated that the "Harry Potter" IP would be remade into an HBO series because absolutely nothing in a capitalist society is sacred, the inevitable has finally happened. Today, during a special Warner Bros. Discovery presentation, the studio officially announced that it is, in fact, moving forward with this new rebooted series. Oh, and the cherry on top of this content sundae? It'll debut on the newly-rebranded streaming service that will replace HBO Max. For whatever reason, it's now being referred to as just plain "Max." You know, like the name for a dog or a hygienic product or that mouth-breathing jock who was really good at running into opponents that we all knew in high school. Wait, where was I again?

Right, "Harry Potter." In confirmation of what we heard last week, the series is intended to run for at least seven total seasons, covering each of controversial author J.K. Rowling's seven total books in the main series. Described as a "faithful adaptation of all seven original books" and one that will "stand alongside" the original movies, the series will feature a brand-new cast of stars, with Rowling involved on a creative level as an executive producer. And for those who may have wanted this franchise to sail into the sunset, HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys was trotted out to emphasize the studio's plan for a "decade-long series," which suggests that at least a few of the books will be split up between multiple seasons. Yay for 10 whole years of content?

Read on for all the details!

Let's be brutally honest here for a second: After the ultimately misguided decision to forge ahead with a series of prequel movies that garnered divisive reactions (and that's not even getting into the Johnny Depp of it all), it's not like an unsatisfying reboot series would be the first time that the "Harry Potter" brand was tarnished. J.K. Rowling has managed to see to that herself, after all. With classic and fan-favorite franchises all receiving similar treatment from their respective studios these days, it was simply a matter of time before this one ended up getting chewed up and spit out of the ongoing IP craze. But as /Film's Erin Brady recently noted, watching this happen to this specific franchise can't help but feel particularly insidious.

This is only the latest major development under the leadership of new CEO David Zaslav, who has doubled down on churning out movies and shows based on profitable, name-brand IPs since taking over. We've most recently seen DC undergo a radical shift in priorities with director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran brought on board and now it seems as if the Wizarding World is set to experience very much the same. Whether this ultimately ends up as successful as similar efforts by Prime Video with "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" or HBO's very own "House of the Dragon" show remains to be seen.

Stay tuned to /Film for any and all details as they come in.