HBO is wasting no time with Harry Potter.
The network has officially renewed its new Harry Potter TV series for Season 2, even though Season 1 has yet to premiere.
Season 2 is scheduled to begin filming this fall, ahead of the Christmas premiere of Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
The early renewal also comes while Season 1 is still in production, with filming expected to wrap in the next couple of weeks.
Harry Potter Season 2 Already Moving Forward At HBO
Jon Brown, known for HBO’s Succession, has been elevated to co-showrunner for Season 2. Brown is a writer on the first season and will now work alongside Season 1 showrunner Francesca Gardiner.
The move lines up with HBO’s plan to keep the Harry Potter series moving without long delays between seasons.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and HBO Max Content, revealed back in November that writing on Season 2 had already started.
“The plan is to still try and get it — I don’t know if it’s going to be like stop shooting Season 1 on Friday and start Season 2 on Monday,” Bloys said at the time. “There’ll be a break in there, but we’re going to do whatever we can to not have a huge gap.”
HBO Wants To Avoid Long Gaps Between Seasons
Bloys also pointed to the young cast as a big reason HBO wants to keep production moving.
“For the kids, obviously, but also for viewers, trying to not have massive gaps [between seasons],” he said. “It is a big show, lots of special effects, obviously. Massive operation, but we’re going to do what we can.”
That makes sense, as the Harry Potter series is being built around young actors playing Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Neville, and the rest of the Hogwarts students.
With each season expected to adapt one book, HBO clearly does not want the cast aging too fast between installments.
Season 1 Premieres This Christmas
Season 1, titled Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, is set to premiere this Christmas.
The official logline reads:
“There is nothing special about Harry Potter – at least that’s what his Aunt Petunia always says. On his 11th birthday, a letter of admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry opens up a hidden world for Harry: one of fun, friendship and magic. But with this new adventure comes great risk as Harry is forced to face a dangerous enemy from his past.”
The series is based on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books and is being positioned as a long-form adaptation of the novels.
Harry Potter HBO Cast
The series stars Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter, Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger, and Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley.
The cast also includes John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom, Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Elijah Oshin as Dean Thomas, Tristan Harland as Fred Weasley, Gabriel Harland as George Weasley, Ruari Spooner as Percy Weasley, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown, Finn Stephens as Vincent Crabbe, William Nash as Gregory Goyle, Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick, and Sirine Saba as Pomona Sprout.
Additional cast members include Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley, Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley, Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch, Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy, Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge, Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell, Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley, Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley, Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley, Richard Durden as Cuthbert Binns, Louise Brealey as Rolanda Hooch, Bríd Brennan as Poppy Pomfrey, Leigh Gill as Griphook, and Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander.
Harry Potter HBO Creative Team
The Harry Potter TV series is written and executive produced by Francesca Gardiner.
Mark Mylod will executive produce and direct multiple episodes for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.
J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair, and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV also executive produce, along with David Heyman of Heyday Films.
Watch the trailer:
