A Harry Potter series is officially happening on HBO is such a hard concept to wrap my head around. I’m so used to the Harry Potter movies and the stellar cast that that I can’t imagine a new cast and Wizarding World coming into play in my 2026 streaming schedule. While I may be personally weirded out by Harry Potter’s upcoming television remake, Lord Voldemort’s Ralph Fiennes is here to take us to school.
The Harry Potter films were a big part of my childhood, as it was my mission to see each movie the week it came out. Because Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and more veteran British actors portrayed the J.K. Rowling characters so well, it’s hard to believe there’ll be a new cast holding those wands episode-by-episode. While I may be weirded out at the idea of Harry Potter becoming an HBO series, Ralph Fiennes was here to school me and ET (via @infocmbr) during 2025’s Golden Globes on why a made-for-TV series of the boy wizard's adventures is a good idea:
I’m not surprised. It was a while ago those films were made. And there’s a whole new generation that would probably want to see a new approach.
Ralph Fiennes makes a lot of sense. It’s been over a decade since the final Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows: Part 2, came out. Maybe it’s time that the next generation experiences what my generation went through awaiting each installment. Considering I had to wait a year or two for each film to land in theaters, new fans will have it easy only having to wait each week for a new episode until the next season.
It’s clear that Ralph Fiennes still has a deep affection for his villainous Harry Potter character. When the Fantastic Beasts film series was rolling in 2019, the British actor said he didn’t want anyone to reprise Voldemort for the prequel franchise except for himself. The Tony Award winner did go down in history as being the first to portray He Who Shall Not Be Named, so it makes sense to find it weird to see anyone else portray the role.
But as time has passed since then with a Harry Potter TV show underway, Ralph Fiennes said he’s willing to hand over his wand to Cillian Murphy, calling him a “fantastic actor.” As the Irish actor has an acting history of playing complex roles in Peaky Blinders and Oppenheimer, I’m sure the Oscar winner can pull off the famed antagonist role. I hope he knows that means he’ll have to lose the nose and wear tights like Fiennes did.
What we know so far about the upcoming HBO series is that casting will be going down in April to find 9-11-year-olds to play the magical trio. Succession’s Francesca Gardiner will be the series’ showrunner and Game of Thrones director Mark Mylod will direct multiple episodes. Speaking of Game of Thrones, the new Harry Potter series is expected to have the same budget as the Emmy-winning show. While we don’t know yet if each season will cover each book, the 2026 series plans to be released within the course of a decade.
It still seems like a weird concept that Harry Potter will be remade into a TV series, but Ralph Fiennes has a point that a new approach to the beloved fantasy series may be what this new generation of fans needs. Plus, David Heyman, who produced the film series, said the new show will present a more accurate portrayal of the books. This will be amazing for book fans like myself who will find book scenes that didn’t make their way into the movies come to life in the TV series.
Until the new HBO series comes in 2026, you can watch the film series that started it all with your Max subscription and Peacock subscription.
