Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint may have cast their last spell in the Harry Potter movies 15 years ago, but the fantasy franchise is far from over. HBO Max announced that a TV series adaptation would be making its way to your 2026 TV schedule. But as the new Harry Potter TV series aims to be a more accurate adaptation of the books, how much did the team look back on the films while making the show? The film franchise’s producer and executive producer of the TV series, David Heyman, has the answer.
What we know so far about the Harry Potter TV show is that each season will cover one book from the J.K. Rowling series. But after its executive producer, David Heyman, was asked on Harry Potter: The Official Podcast if the movies played a factor in the upcoming streaming series, here was his straightforward answer:
Yes and no. This has to act completely independently of the films. I think we made the right choices for the films. Sure, everyone's always looked and said, ‘We could have done this.’ I probably brought more of that to this than anybody because I've lived with it so closely for so long. But it was important that this be its own thing.
David Heyman makes a great point. Sure, there were a lot of differences in the movies when you compare them to the books, like the exclusion of the character Peeves. But keep in mind that for the most part, the movies were over two hours long. So, there was only so much from J.K. Rowling’s magical world that could be included in the films.
But based on the latest trailer series from the HBO series, it looks like the new series is already straying away not only from the movies but the books as well. We saw Ron receive his Hogwarts acceptance letter and Hermione trying to make new friends on the Hogwarts Express. Both scenes didn’t exist in the movies or the books, which shows that the creative team is trying to explore new ways to develop these iconic characters.
As David Heyman was the producer of the Harry Potter movies, it means a lot coming from him that he wants the TV series to have a unique magic of its own rather than copying them. He continued to talk about the importance of the TV series adaptation standing apart from the films:
Again, just as I'm proud that each of the films and each of the directors were distinct, so too it was important that this be Mark [Mylod] and Francesca [Gardiner]’s vision. I mean, obviously, Ruth Kenley-Letts and I, who are executive producers, are very involved in debate, discuss, but any producer has to support the vision of the key creators.
Definitely. Just like the Harry Potter films had different directors lending their unique visions to each film, the HBO series plans to have its own special vision. Warner Bros. TV chairman and CEO Channing Dungey said her explanation for creating the show was to explore the books in greater depth and bring those key details to the new series. So, I have a feeling we’ll be looking at the Wizarding World in a way we never have been through the new fantasy TV series.
On the other hand, there is one way the Harry Potter TV series connects to the movies in a direct way. The streaming series was filmed at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, which is the exact location the films were shot at. So, by bringing our favorite boy wizard to life on familiar ground, the HBO show can still have its own small connection to the movies while creating its own identity.
While the Harry Potter team can’t ignore the films that came before, it appears that the TV series is aiming to be a project of its own. At the end of the day, it looks like the HBO series is not looking to replicate the movies, but to expand the world and characters that J.K. Rowling's books first created.
Remember to watch the long-awaited Harry Potter TV series coming to your HBO Max subscription on Christmas Day. Using that same membership, you can also revisit the OG film franchise we all grew up watching.
