Harry Potter HBO TV series to be led by Succession veterans

LOS ANGELES — HBO announced on June 26 that its upcoming Harry Potter television series will be led by Succession veterans Francesca Gardiner, as writer and showrunner, and Mark Mylod, as director of several episodes.

Both Gardiner and Mylod worked on the HBO series Succession about a dysfunctional family that runs a media empire, which won 19 Emmys. Gardiner was on the producing team and Mylod served as director and producer.

Gardiner is also known for her work on the HBO fantasy show His Dark Materials, while Mylod directed episodes of Game Of Thrones and the upcoming second season of The Last Of Us.

HBO describes the Harry Potter series, which has not yet been officially titled, as "a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer JK Rowling."

British author Rowling said on X on June 26 that she had high hopes for the series.

"I'm truly thrilled to announce our director and writer, both of whom I interviewed as part of the production team," Rowling said.

"Both have a genuine passion for #HarryPotter, and having read Francesca's pilot script and heard Mark's vision, I'm certain the TV show will more than live up to expectations," she added.

HBO said "each season will bring Harry Potter and these incredible adventures to new audiences around the world, while the original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch globally."

Warner Bros Discovery announced it was making the new series about the boy wizard in 2023, as part of its plans for its Max streaming service, which combines HBO Max with unscripted programming from Discovery.

The seven Harry Potter books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide. They were adapted into blockbuster movies starring Daniel Radcliffe that grossed US$7.7 billion globally from 2001 to 2011.

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