Harry Potter TV series spin-offs are not planned at HBO, confirms network CEO

HBO is embarking on a new adaptation of the Harry Potter book series – but don't expect any spin-offs exploring other aspects of the Wizarding World.

It's been 16 years since the much-loved film series starring Daniel Radcliffe concluded, and an ambitious new screen version inspired by JK Rowling's novels has been confirmed to be arriving over Christmas 2026.

But while the previous films were followed by a spin-off trilogy in the form of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movies, Casey Bloys (chairman and CEO, HBO and Max Content) has insisted that the new TV series is not intended as a launchpad for any kind of Harry Potter shared universe on-screen.

"First of all, we'll be so busy… adapting the books is going to be a long process," Bloys told Radio Times. "So, no, the idea is not to go into this and turn it into, you know, a DC or a Marvel, or anything like that. The idea is to go in and do the books.

"The opportunity, the creative opportunity, is to spend more time to spend more time with the books than an arbitrary two-hour runtime of a movie."

Bloys added that he is "thrilled" with what he's seen of the Harry Potter series so far, describing it "books plus" – in other words, both adapting and expanding on the original novels.

"There will be things in the show that were not in the movies, but also were not necessarily in the books, but are not off-canon, you just didn't necessarily see them," he hinted.

Dominic McLaughlin will take on the role of Harry Potter in the new series, joined by Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley and Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger. Meanwhile, John Lithgow will take on the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore, with Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has faced backlash in some quarters due to her views on transgender rights. In 2020, she published a lengthy statement detailing her stance on sex and gender debates – the essay was criticised and disputed by LGBTQ+ charities including Stonewall.

Rowling has also shared her views on social media, including in a 2024 post on X (formerly Twitter), in which she insisted that “there are no trans kids” and opposed the idea that a child can be “born in the wrong body”.

In May 2025, Rowling set up the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which describes itself as offering legal funding support to “individuals and organisations fighting to retain women’s sex-based rights”.

Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson, have distanced themselves from Rowling's views and have issued statements supporting the transgender community. Others, including Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter and Jim Broadbent, have defended the author from the criticism she has received.

HBO Max launches in the UK and Ireland on 26 March. Visit hbomax.com for more information. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone arrives on the platform over Christmas 2026.

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