Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Warner Bros.
Attention witches and wizards, a new live-action Harry Potter series could be coming to HBO Max.
Executives of the WarnerMedia-backed streaming service are reportedly in talks to bring the beloved book and film franchise to television, according to a Monday report from The Hollywood Reporter, citing sources with knowledge of production plans.
“There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” representatives from Warner Bros. and HBO Max told CNBC in a statement.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has spawned spinoff books, 10 box-office features and theme park lands at Universal Studios in Florida and California. It is one of the most valuable pieces of IP that Warner Bros. has in its vault.
However, there are some complications. For one, Rowling still controls the franchise and has a say in everything involving the property. The author has come under scrutiny for comments made about the trans community and has faced backlash from even the most loyal of Harry Potter fans.
Additionally, Warner Bros. signed a deal with NBCUniversal in 2016 that gave domestic TV distribution rights to its competitor, including U.S. broadcast, cable and streaming rights to the entire Wizarding World franchise. The deal doesn’t expire until 2025.
Read the full report from The Hollywood Reporter.
Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.
