LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: (L-R) Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe attend the World ... [+]
A new era of Harry Potter is coming. The big question remains if any original actors from the popular films will be returning for the upcoming TV series on Max. Recently, one O.G. cast member revealed that he’s interested in appearing in the reboot — but not as the character he originally played.
English actor Matthew Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom in all eight Harry Potter movies, spoke about the upcoming series during a Harry Potter panel at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida, alongside his former co-star Jason Isaacs (who portrayed Lucius Malfoy).
“They’re making a TV show, for those people that didn’t know,” Isaacs told the crowd, according to People. The show will start “from the beginning of each book” and each of the seven books “will be a whole season,” he said. “But it hasn’t started — only ’cause there was a strike for a long time.”
Isaacs joked that he’d play Dobby the house elf “because you don’t have to go to makeup,” adding that he could “just waltz in in the middle of the day, have a cup of coffee” and “steal the whole scene.”
Meanwhile, Lewis noted that he was “too old to play Neville again.” After basing his answer “purely on when I read the books,” the 34-year-old revealed that he would want to play Remus Lupin, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and werewolf.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 04: Matthew Lewis (L) and Jason Isaacs speak during a Q&A session at ... [+]
“The character I enjoyed was Professor Lupin,” Lewis said while honoring “the incomparable David Thewlis,” who portrayed Lupin in the films. “If I was to have a go, that would be one that I’d do,” Lewis concluded.
As for the film’s lead who played the Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe spoke about his potential involvement to ComicBook.com in July. “My understanding is that they’re trying to very much start fresh and I’m sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere,” Radcliffe said.
In April 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery announced the creation of a new Harry Potter TV series on Max. The series, which will be developed over 10 years, will be a “faithful adaptation” of the successful book series from author and executive producer J.K. Rowling.
“We are delighted to give audiences the opportunity to discover Hogwarts in a whole new way,” Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content said in a statement. “Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon and it is clear there is such an enduring love and thirst for the Wizarding World. In partnership with Warner Bros. Television and J.K. Rowling, this new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years.”
This illustration photo created in Los Angeles, on April 12, 2023 shows the upcoming Harry Potter ... [+]
So, what’s the current state of development of the Harry Potter TV series? Deadline reported in February 2023 that Warner Bros. invited creatives to pitch ideas for the series, including Martha Hillier, Kathleen Jordan, Tom Moran and Michael Lesslie,
“It’s an interesting mix of Brits and Americans, most of whom have some experience working with streamers and many of whom have shepherded projects in the sci-fi/fantasy space,” the site wrote, according to sources.
Rowling is also reportedly involved in this pitching process. The controversial author has been criticized for comments she made about the trans community over the years. Stars from the Wizarding World, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Eddie Redmayne, have all spoken out against her alleged anti-trans statements.
During a Q&A session following Max’s presentation last year, Bloys declined to discuss Rowling’s personal views. “I don’t think this is the forum,” Bloys said. “That’s a very online conversation, very nuanced and complicated and not something we’re going to get into. Our priority is what’s on the screen.”
Bloys continued, “Obviously, the ‘Harry Potter’ story is incredibly affirmative and positive and about love and self-acceptance. That’s our priority: what’s on screen.”
The series is expected to be released sometime in 2025 or 2026.
Stay tuned to learn more about the new Harry Potter series on Max.
