As HBO gears up for its upcoming Harry Potter TV present, it is also needed to face questions surrounding the involvement of creator J.Ok. Rowling. HBO and Max content material boss Casey Bloys fielded the newest of these questions at a press occasion on Tuesday, clarifying that she’s been “pretty concerned” within the collection’ early growth.
During a Q&A with reporters, one introduced up the controversy surrounding Rowling, who’s been posting anti-transgender rhetoric on X/Twitter since 2020. The reporter requested Bloys how concerned Rowling has been within the collection and if her “passionate views about trans points” have affected HBO’s means to seek out its solid.
“She’s been pretty concerned,” Bloys responded. “She was very concerned within the course of of choosing the author and director, and I think about she’ll have opinions on casting. It hasn’t affected the casting or hiring of writers and manufacturing employees. So we’ve not felt an affect from that.”
HBO beforehand introduced that Rowling can be an govt producer on the present, and that it could be a “devoted adaptation” of her Harry Potter novels.
These are solely Bloys’ newest feedback on Rowling’s social media posts and the backlash to them. Last yr, shortly after HBO formally confirmed the brand new Harry Potter present, he referred to as the controversy a “very on-line dialog” and added, “Our precedence is what’s on the display. Obviously, the Harry Potter story is extremely affirmative and optimistic and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our precedence — what’s on display.”
HBO introduced earlier this yr that it recruited Succession producers Francesca Gardiner and Mark Mylod as artistic heads for the Harry Potter present, with Gardiner serving as showrunner and govt producer whereas Mylod will govt produce and direct a number of episodes. It’s nonetheless within the thick of discovering its solid, nonetheless; in September, HBO posted an open casting name to seek out youngster actors to painting Harry, Ron, and Hermione, whereas Mark Rylance is reportedly on the high of the community’s wishlist to play Dumbledore.
HBO mother or father firm Warner Bros. has repeatedly pointed to IP like Harry Potter as a precedence shifting ahead, significantly within the wake of the success of Hogwarts Legacy. Still, that does not imply HBO is massively speeding to get the brand new collection out the door. In one other a part of the Q&A, Bloys was requested when the present would possibly premiere, in addition to if he is frightened concerning the filming schedule regarding the youngster actors getting older (i.e., the Stranger Things problem).
He estimated that it may debut across the starting of 2027, “however do not maintain me to any of that, as a result of we’re simply getting began, the writing and casting course of.”
“One of the concepts we have talked about is capturing the primary season and the second season very shut to one another time-wise as a result of youngsters, from 11 to 13 is a giant soar in youngsters’ lives,” he continued. “You can get away with 13 to fifteen, one thing like that. So we’re gunna have to consider scheduling and capturing in order that they do not develop an excessive amount of between seasons. It is a consideration.”
That early 2027 window is a tad bit later than what was stated prior to now, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav beforehand telling traders that they have been aiming for a debut in 2026. Still, as famous, the present continues to be early in growth, so there’s nonetheless loads that is up within the air as of but.
For extra from in the present day’s HBO occasion, try what Bloys needed to say about George R.R. Martin’s criticism of House of the Dragon Season 2, in addition to narrowed launch home windows for the second seasons of The Last of Us and Peacemaker.
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing leisure reporting. When she’s not writing or modifying, yow will discover her studying fantasy novels or taking part in Dungeons & Dragons.
