Harry Potter TV Series Narrows Search for Showrunner, Three Writers Revealed

The Harry Potter franchise has been a cultural juggernaut, with its initial series of films grossing billions of dollars at the box office. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plan to reimagine Harry Potter for a whole new generation, with a live-acton reboot television series in the works and eyeing a 2026 premiere date. Updates around the Harry Potter TV reboot have been few and far between thus far, but it sounds like the series might be one step closer to finding its showrunner.

According to a new report, Francesca Gardiner (Succession), Tom Moran (The Devil's Hour) and Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) are all in contention to lead the Harry Potter reboot. The report indicates that Gardiner, Moran, and Jordan will all have "the next couple of months" to fine-tune their pitches, with Warner Bros. planning to announce the showrunner at some point in June. Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom) and Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) were also previously reported to have pitched on the project, but are no longer in contention.

What Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be About?

The Harry Potter television series would cover the entirety of J.K. Rowling's book series, with executives previously hinting they hope the series spans a decade. Rowling would be involved with the new series in some capacity to ensure that it "remains loyal to her original material." 

"We have been trying to be very close to the vest," HBO chief Casey Bloys previously said of the search for a showrunner. "We haven't gone out to agencies. We have our own internal process where we've been thinking about people but we have not wanted to go out into the world. Now that the news is out there, we will start working with the Blair Partnership and we'll start going out to the business."

When Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be Released?

During a recent quarterly earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated that the plan is for the Harry Potter reboot to premiere exclusively on Max at some point in 2026. 

"We spent some real time with J.K. and her team," Zaslav added during the earnings call. "Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max."

Will Daniel Radcliffe Appear in the Harry Potter Reboot?

As original Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe told ComicBook.com last year, he doesn't think he will — or probably should — return in the Max reboot.

"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 confirmed with ComicBook.com. "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it."

What do you think of the newest details surrounding the Harry Potter TV reboot? Who do you want to see showrun the series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Deadline