HBO’sHarry Potterseries will be a reboot of the film franchise and a closer adaptation of the book series, but it seems awfully similar thus far. The upcoming project, expected to release sometime in 2026, will feature a brand-new cast of actors in the roles made iconic in the movies. A talented creative crew headed by showrunner Francesca Gardiner (Succession) join a long list of names to bring the books to life. However,Harry Potterwill also borrow a very specific, familiar element that permeates throughout the franchise —the visual effects used to create the world of Hogwarts.
Deadlinereports that the Oscar-winning VFX companyFramestore, who worked on the magical creatures in all eight theatrical films, is in talks to work on HBO’sHarry Potter. They famously created the CGI hippogriff Buckbeak, which, as Deadline points out, took 15 months for a 90-person team to create. Although a deal has not been finalized yet, Framestore is expected to lend their hand in creating the world ofHarry Potter again. It’s unclear if they will be using the same designs as the previous films, but it’s safe to say they will be quite familiar with the source material. Framestore won an Academy Award forBlade Runner 2049and most recently worked onWicked,Furiosa, andPaddington in Peru, to name a few.
The report claims that WB is talking to other VFX companies for the job, but it seems Framestore will likely be the main studio working on the reboot. TheHarry Potterfranchise was always known for its top-notch production quality and groundbreaking CGI, so HBO wants to bring the same level of quality on the small screen. The reboot wants to be considerednew and excitingwhile also pulling on nostalgia, and time will tell if HBO can have its cake and eat it too.
‘Harry Potter’ is Rounding Out its Cast
While HBO sorts out the post-production side of things, the series is ramping up its casting search to begin filming sometime next year.Mark Rylance is being eyed to play Dumbledore, and although a deal is not in place, he is the favorite to land the role. Meanwhile, the network is castinga worldwide net to find its main trio, which will be open to a diverse range of candidates. No more news on that front just yet, but it would not be shocking to hear the names that will lead the HBO series for years to come before the end of 2024.
HBO Boss Reveals How ‘Harry Potter’ TV Show Will Avoid Issues with Actors Aging Between Seasons
The new ‘Harry Potter’ TV show will bring many new young actors into some famous roles, but how will they stop them aging during lengthy shoots?
No matter who lands the coveted roles,they will have a lot to live up toand sky-high expectations from the loyal fanbase after theHarry Pottermovie franchise nailed them the first time around. That said, Rylance is already a name worth getting excited about for Dumbledore, and the fact the show will be a more in-depth adaptation of the books is intriguing for longtime fans.Each season will adapt a book, meaning a minimum of seven seasons are on their way from HBO if it’s well-received.
