New ‘Harry Potter’ TV Series Will Have a Massive Budget Comparable to ‘House of the Dragon’

The news is official, Max, formally known as HBO Max, is ordering the first-ever Harry Potter television series. And they promise a big budget for the new series!

The television project, based on J.K. Rowling’s books, has been in discussions for a number of years. But it wasn’t until Max’s presentation this week that the streaming service revealed that the series was officially in the works.

“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO + Max Content, says. “‘Harry Potter’ is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”

“Max’s commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me. And I’m looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series,” JK Rowling adds.

A Large Budget for the Harry Potter Television Series

It was also noted that the new Harry Potter series, which is expected to run for a decade, will have a massive budget to work with, comparable to that of the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. 

“It will be that scale or higher. Whatever it takes to make a quality show,” Bloys notes.

House of Dragon, which is currently in production on its second season, had a budget of nearly $20 million per episode for its 10-episode first season. Total production costs for the series’ first season were between $150 and $200 million, which may sound like a lot. However, it’s only half of the reported $465 million budget of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The news gets even more exciting for Harry Potter fans. It was also revealed that this Harry Potter series wouldn’t necessarily be the only Harry Potter project in the works. 

“We’re free to do anything we want. Some areas we need to do with J.K., other areas we have the full ability to go forward. This is a full deployment on Max of ‘Harry Potter.’ We can still develop other properties.” David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, noted.

The news isn’t surprising, considering last November, during an investor call, Zaslav spoke about their desire to make more content for the franchise.

“We’re going to focus on franchises. We haven’t had a Superman movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a ‘Harry Potter’ in 15 years. The DC movies and the ‘Harry Potter’ movies provided a lot of the profits for Warner Bros… over the past 25 years,” Zaslav stated on the call.

What Can Fans Expect from the Upcoming Series?

So what can fans expect from the upcoming Harry Potter television series? Aside from a sizable budget for the production, Max also promises that it will be a faithful adaptation of the book series. The stories from each of Rowling’s books will become a decade-long series. And they will be produced with the same epic craft, love, and care this global franchise is known for. 

Additionally, the series will feature a brand-new cast. Max is hopeful that the fresh faces will lead a new generation of fandom for the franchise. 

David Heyman, who produced all eight of the Harry Potter movies films, is in talks to serve as executive producer on the project. And there is an active search underway for a writer and showrunner. We’ll keep you posted as more details surface!