From 1997 to 2007 they were the coolest fantasy books not just for young and teen readers but also for a surprising outside demographic. From 2001 to 2011 the big-budget blockbuster adaptations of these same books were box-office juggernauts the whole world over. Suffice to say that J.K. Rowling’s books about Harry Potter and the films made of them by Warner Bros. were one of the cornerstones of late 20th and early 21st Century pop culture. While the main story about the Boy Who Lived has ended (with only spinoff books and in-universe prequels afterwards), there is no harm in dreaming of more, of Harry Potter on the small screen.

Entertainment Weekly tells us that there has been a buzz in recent trading reports which would imply that HBO Max streaming service of WarnerMedia and AT&T are bouncing around ideas for a TV series spinoff of “Harry Potter” in the near future. Dorman Potter-heads should not be holding their breaths yet however. At the moment, Warner Bros. and HBO Max are still in the “extremely early stages” that precede even initial development. At most, they have only contacted writers to discuss story ideas, nothing more.

Having a small-screen expansion of Harry’s Wizarding World universe seems to be a natural decision for Warner to make, considering their traditional rival Disney seems to be coasting on success with “The Mandalorian,” a spinoff of the “Star Wars” franchise taking place between the original and sequel trilogies. About the only significant obstacle to further development of this idea is the sentiments of the original creator, author J.K. Rowling herself. Her screenwriting foray with the “Fantastic Beasts” prequel movies seems to have hit a snag with the lackluster reception of “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Outside of Potter however, Rowling has recently lost significant numbers of support after expressing criticism on some trans-rights issues last year.

In addition to “Harry Potter,” HBO Max has been discussing further spinoffs for “Game of Thrones,” the hit HBO fantasy epic based on the books by George R.R. Martin. Despite mixed reviews for the second film, the third as-yet un-subtitled “Fantastic Beasts” film is in production for a 2022 release. The story delves into the imminent involvement of the Wizarding World in World War II, as orchestrated by Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, now played by Mads Mikkelsen replacing Johnny Depp.

Image courtesy of Hollywood Reporter