With The Secrets of Dumbledore arriving in cinemas worldwide starting today, it’s time to turn focus to something that has been developing quietly in the background of things for the last 18 months – a Harry Potter series in the works for HBO Max.
A ‘Grindelwald’ Series
Back in September 2020, Knight Edge Media exclusively reported that Warner Bros. were developing a Grindelwald Project for HBO Max. If the reports are to be true then the supposed Harry Potter series in the works is none other than one revolving around the dark wizard, played by Mads Mikkelsen.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, Gellert Grindelwald was a Dark Wizard, considered to be amongst the most powerful and notorious wizards of all time, he was a student at Durmstrang Institute, where he was expelled for twisted, dark experiments and near-fatal attacks on students. Fans first got their first glimpse at the Dark Wizard during his small appearance in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, when Voldemort sought after the Elder Wand, but his most recent appearances are of course in the Fantastic Beasts franchise,
Grindelwald’s story is still very much untold at this point, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will for sure not tell the character’s full story, so it’s clear there is more to tell. The question, however, is when will the story take place?
If we are to assume the Fantastic Beasts films will continue following Secrets of Dumbeldore, then it’s safe to say that the franchise will end at some point near 1945 when Dumbeldore and Grindelwald will have their legendary duel which will see Dumbledore finish on top, and Grindelwald sent to the topmost cell of Nurmengard, which will serve as his residence for the remainder of his life.
All this known information about Grindelwald points to the show possibly focusing on his rise to power, and how Grindelwald became the dark wizard we’re first introduced to during the events of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them – we could see the show set around the time when Grindelwald first steals the Elder Wand (seen during the events of Deathly Hallows) focusing on a younger Grindelwald, meaning Mads Mikklesman would be recast
The Cursed Child
A sequel to the original series of films is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child a two-part play written by Jack Thorne based on an original story by She Who Must Not Be Named, John Tiffany, and Thorne.
The story begins nineteen years after the events of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and follows Harry Potter, who is now the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, and his younger son, Albus Severus Potter, who is about to attend Hogwarts.
Cursed Child as a series could be the next generation’s entry point into the Harry Potter series and has the potential to fix a lot of the “issues” many fans have had with it, especially when some aspects of the new instalment in the series were changed from the books when adapted onto the big screen. They could even do a complete rehash of Cursed Child and change the story for the better!
I think it is still quite soon for an adaptation of Cursed Child, for many reasons. Ideally, the way I see it, Warner Bros. has always had the mindset of completing the Fantastic Beasts series, with the two remaining films and then would look to adapt the Cursed Child franchise. A fourth instalment (if announced) would look to release in 2024/25 followed by the final instalment in 2026/27. Following the release of the films, you could then make the assumption that a 2030 release for Cursed Child could happen, also being 19 years since the release of Deathly Hallows Part 2.
A Complete Reboot
Now, this one is extremely far-fetched, but imagine if “Harry Potter Series” quite literally means a series involving Harry Potter, One series per book could be the way to go and would be an adaptation similar to the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians series on Disney+
I think this adaptation would be the most controversial out of all my ideas simply because the original cast is so iconic. Especially, when Hollywood has been so reluctant to reboot titles in recent years. A fresh start for the series would be looked down upon by many, including both fans and the cast I would assume.
HBO Max is lacking original content based on WB’s current IP and they should look to make some sooner rather than later, a little off the topic but the recently announced Godzilla series for Apple TV+ would have been perfect for the streamer.
Conclusion
I think it is safe to say that HBO Max would benefit from a series based on the Harry Potter IP. It is one of the biggest franchises of all time and everyone would be tuning in to watch for sure. Whether the show focused on Grindelwald, one of the Wizarding Worlds, the Cursed Child or even a prequel series following Hagrid’s time as a young boy – something is needed for the streaming service,
